The national football team of Namibia has achieved the remarkable accomplishment of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to take place in Ivory Coast. Dubbed the “Brave Warriors,” Namibia has punched well above its weight class to earn its spot among Africa’s best in the continental tournament.
The road to qualification was not an easy one. With the withdrawal of Zimbabwe from their qualifying group, Namibia was left with just Burundi and African powerhouse Cameroon as competition.
After a promising 1-1 home draw with Burundi to open the campaign, the Warriors faced the ultimate test in back-to-back matches with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
Displaying the heart that has earned them their “Brave” nickname, the Warriors battled Cameroon to a gritty 1-1 away draw.
Then, in a shock result, they defeated the African giants 2-1 at home just days later. It was this courageous result that essentially sealed Namibia’s AFCON qualification, their 4th appearance in the tournament’s history.
While a 3-2 defeat in their last qualifier against Burundi was disappointing, it could not erase the jubilation of having claimed one of the final AFCON spots up for grabs.
The Warriors had survived the grueling qualification trail and completed an unlikely trip to Ivory Coast 2023.
Namibia now knows its fate at the tournament as the official groups were recently announced. Drawn into Group E, they will face Tunisia, South Africa and Mali in matches that promise to be hotly contested. Their campaign begins on January 16th against Tunisia.
As the underdogs of the group and the entire tournament field, not much will be expected of the Warriors.
But as they have already shown, anything is possible with a team playing with true heart and belief. Ivory Coast 2023 awaits these brave Namibian warriors.
