Young Warriors ready for Afcon qualifiers

Namibia’s U/20 football team, the Young Warriors, will travel to Mozambique for the U/20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) qualifiers, scheduled to take place from 18 to 27 September 2026.

Twelve teams, divided into three groups of four, will battle for regional honours, with Namibia set to open its campaign against Mauritius on 18 September at the Estadio do Zimpeto in Maputo.

Head coach Lucky Shipanga announced his 20-member travelling squad yesterday in Windhoek.

Shipanga thanked and appreciated the teams, coaches and academies that have contributed to the development of the players, as well as their families, parents, communities and the Namibia Football Association for creating a platform for the young players.

The 20 players travelling to Mozambique were selected from a group of 60, with Shipanga saying the chosen players are ready to fight and give their all for the country, the national team and themselves.

He said the players were selected based on their tactical ability, discipline, commitment, readiness and coachability.

“Not because the players have been there or because they have been recommended, not because they are from a certain region, but we have identified players that I noticed will take us far. It was good to come in not knowing all the players, I only know the players by numbers,” he said.

Shipanga believes the squad has the potential to go far in the competition.

The players have been training together for more than four weeks and have also played matches against Premier League teams to test their abilities and challenge them at a higher level.

“I realised that we have a group of players that can make it. We played matches locally to test their character, whether they can make it and made assessments with it. I am excited to tell you that I think these players are ready to bring us the best and showcase that they are ready to go to the next level,” Shipanga said.

Shipanga further believes that the team has prepared themselves well, will go all out for the qualifiers and will representing the country with pride by playing to win.

Most of the players in the squad have previously been called up to the U/20 team, while some are new to the setup. Two players have also been promoted from the U/17 national team.

Young Warriors player Mcheni Kavendjii said the team’s preparations have included intense training over the past few weeks and believes they are ready for the qualifiers.