Namibia's Brave Warriors have suffered yet another defeat, losing 1-0 to Zimbabwe in their latest Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match. The match was held at Orlando Stadium in South Africa, as neither Namibia nor Zimbabwe has a stadium that meets AFCON and FIFA standards for hosting international matches.
This loss marks Namibia's fourth consecutive match without a win, following a series of disappointing results. Namibia lost the COSAFA Cup final to Angola on July 7, 2024, and have since struggled in their AFCON qualifying campaign. The Brave Warriors lost 1-0 to Cameroon, 2-1 to Kenya, and now 1-0 to Zimbabwe.
Khama Billiat secured Zimbabwe’s victory with a penalty in the 34th minute. Although Namibia dominated possession, they failed to capitalize on their opportunities. Head coach Collin Benjamin expressed his frustration after the match.
Coach Collin’s Reaction
"We were the better team, but it hurts to walk away with zero points and zero goals," Coach Collin Benjamin said in a post-match interview. "We created the chances, especially in the second half, where I counted nine that we didn’t convert. Before Zimbabwe got the penalty in the first half, we had three clear chances. It’s painful, knowing we were the better team, but we have to congratulate our opponents."
Namibia now sits at the bottom of Group J in the AFCON qualifiers, with only three games remaining to secure their place in the 2025 AFCON tournament. Zimbabwe leads the group with five points, followed by Kenya and Cameroon, who each have four points.
The Brave Warriors will need a drastic turnaround to keep their AFCON qualification hopes alive.