Namibia have shown just how serious they are about preparations for the 2017 Mopani Copper Mines COSAFA Under-20 Championships with a two-week training camp in Ghana ahead of the tournament.
The team will fine-tune their preparations in West Africa as they look to claim gold at the regional showpiece tournament that will be staged in Zambia from December 6-16.
Head coach Gerhard Guther has been given the backing by the Namibia Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sport to take his team into camp. “Namibia and Ghana have a partnership in football development tracing back to 2012 when the Ghana CHAN [African Nations Championship] team came here to train and that deal has extended to other teams such as the ladies and the youth teams as well,” said Director of Sports, Sivhute Katamba.
“Ghana youth teams have been here before and they will again send their under-17 team for the four nations tournament that involves Namibia, Westphalia and another country still to be confirmed.”
Namibia have set up base at the Lizzy Sports Complex in Accra, where they will stay until December 2 when they head back home and on to Kitwe, Zambia.
Namibia have done well in COSAFA regional competitions of late, with their senior side claiming the 2015 COSAFA Castle Cup title, and the country also winning the 2016 COSAFA Under-17 Championships.
Many of those players are now in the Under-20 set-up and will be hopeful of further success in an age-group where they have yet to claim the regional title.
Namibia have been drawn in Group C at the regional showpiece tournament along with Angola, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Only the top team in each pool advances to the semifinals, along with the best runner-up.
Namibia begin their campaign with a fixture against the Angolans on December 6 at the Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
The group stage will be completed on December 12, followed by a rest day, with the semifinals to be staged at the Arthur Davies Stadium on December 14.
The third-place play-off and the final will move to the Levy Mwanawasa in Ndola on December 16.
Namibia travelling squad to Ghana:
Calvin Spiegel (Chief Santos) Vipua Tjimune (African Stars), Lubeni Haukongo and Aprocius Petrus (Eleven Arrows), Stanley Ndjavera (Tura Magic), Romario Hawiseb (UNAM FC), Paul Kotjipati (Otjozondjupa), Migeri Hubert (Life Fighters), Peter Nampolo (Khomas), Johannes Hollombach (Chief Santos), Venovineja Tjikundi and George Hummel (UNAM FC), Anthony Kham, Marciano January and Rivaldo Festus (all Eleven Arrows), Augustinus Hobexab (Eastern Chiefs), Ronaldo Zaahl (Kaizen Football Academy), Eldery Morgan and Enzo Mungendje (both Tura Magic), Michael Kamuserandu (African Stars FC) and Moegamat Davids (South Africa), Kamaijanda Ndisiro, Javaza Tjihoreko, Natangwe Petrus and Petrus Kamati.
