Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Brave Warriors head coach Collin Benjamin says group B of the Cosafa Cup is still wide open, and his team will do everything to secure maximum points against Lesotho to move to the next round of the tournament.
Benjamin spoke on Sunday evening after Namibia’s 0-0 draw with Malawi.
It was the team’s second draw at the tournament. Namibia now sits in third place with two points, behind Lesotho with three points and Angola with four.
Malawi is last with one point. Only a win against Lesotho will guarantee Namibia a spot in the next round.
“I thought we would get the job done and collect three points against Malawi, but it did not happen. Now we have to focus on the game against Lesotho,” said Benjamin.
“Malawi played well; they were aggressive, and they gave us problems. In the end, we shared the spoils, but we also had about two chances that we didn’t capitalise on. So I would say a draw is a true reflection of the game. We have to pick up and take what we have. We will try to redeem ourselves in the game against Lesotho and get three points. I think the group is still wide and open,” he said.
Benjamin said the team lacked aggression against Malawi.
He said the match served as a learning curve, especially since the team is in transition and many players are making their first international appearance.
“I would say that it is a good lesson that the players know they were not aggressive enough against the ball; they were not aggressive enough in these fights. And then on one side, you know that you have a young team and you are in a competition; you have to integrate these young players. And it is only through games like this that they can learn and know that at an international level, you need to be an athlete, you need to be physical, and you need to win your battles and attack with a good balance,” he said.
