Erasmus Shalihaxwe
A campaign to help the Brave Warriors qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been launched in Windhoek.
Led by Tim Ekandjo, the campaign aims to raise N$9.8 million.
The funds will go toward player appearance fees, winning bonuses, and operational costs for the remaining qualification matches.
Ekandjo said Namibia has never qualified for the World Cup.
He described the campaign as a national effort and called on all Namibians to contribute ideas or financial support.
“Qualification for the FIFA World Cup never happens by luck. Every country that has ever participated would have invested considerably to ensure that their national teams qualify. We are also mindful that such preparations would date back as far as five years. That is how intentional you ought to be in preparing for the world’s biggest sporting event,” said Ekandjo.
He said the campaign would focus on five pillars, including mobilising support and resources for the team.
The goal is to create a positive environment that allows players to perform at their best and avoid any disruptions.
“Incentivise and qualify: this objective is to ensure that the team is incentivised handsomely in relation to the importance of this event, so that they give their very best on and off the pitch. This goes without saying: we will have to raise the budget that we calculated to ensure we are able to offer lucrative incentives for such a qualification,” Ekandjo said.
He stated that Namibia is currently in its strongest position to qualify for the World Cup.
The Brave Warriors are currently second in Group H with 12 points. Tunisia leads the group with 16 points.
“On the 1st of September 2025, we will play Malawi home away from home (in SA), followed by Sao Tome and Principe, also home away from home on the 8th of September. On the 6th of October, we will play Liberia and Tunisia away on the 6th and 13th of October, respectively. And what an achievement it would be if we can motivate the team enough to get a maximum of 12 points from the last four games,” said Ekandjo.
