Namibia go into a fourth Africa Cup of Nations finals with the aim of exiting the group phase for the first time. It will be no easy feat in a tough pool.
Previous appearances in finals: (3) 1998, 2008, 2019
Best performance: Group phase
Drawn in Group D with Mali, South Africa and Tunisia.
Coach: Collin Benjamin
Benjamin played in the Bundesliga and Champions League with Hamburg and saw duty for Namibia at the 2008 Cup of Nations finals in Ghana. He remains one of the southern African country’s most successful footballing exports and after concluding his career in Germany stayed at 1860 Munich in their coaching structures. Once he returned home to Windhoek, he began coaching with the football association and worked his way up to national team coach, appointed to the post in June 2022.
Key player: Peter Shalulile. Age: 29. Forward.
Leading goal scorer in the South African premier league three of the last four seasons and also a key member of the Mamelodi Sundowns side which won the inaugural edition of the new African ‘super league’ in November. He started out as a fullback but was converted to striker and quickly made his mark in domestic soccer, earning a first Namibia cap in 2014. South African clubs quickly scoued him and after starting out at Highlands Park, he joined Sundowns in 2020 and since won three successive championships with them.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 115
How they qualified: Second place team in Group C, behind Cameroon but ahead of Burundi.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Loydt Kazapua (Chippa United), Edward Maova (University of Pretoria), Kamainjanda Ndisiro (African Stars)
Defenders: Kennedy Amutenya (Gaborone United), Ananias Gebhardt (Baroka), Charles Hambira (African Stars), Riaan Hanamub (AmaZulu), Denzil Haoseb (Khomas Nampol), Lubeni Haukongo (Cape Town Spurs), Ivan Kamberipa (Orapa United), Ryan Nyambe (Derby County), Aprocius Petrus (Liria Prizren)
Midfielders: Uetuuru Kambato (African Stars), Ngero Katua (UNAM), Marcel Papama, Wendell Rudath (both Jwaneng Galaxy), Petrus Shitembi (Kuching City), Prins Tjiueza (Liria Prizren)
Forwards: Deon Hotto (Orlando Pirates), Absalom Iimbondi (Khomas Nampol), Joslin Kamatuka (Maritzburg United), Bethuel Muzeu (Black Leopards), Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns).
