Back-to-back goalless draws for Warriors

Football
Kenya and Namibia played to the first drawn result in their history of head-to-head clashes.
Brian Munango
  • 1 Day Ago
Namibia's Brave Warriors concluded their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane yesterday.

While both teams were already eliminated from contention, the match offered an opportunity for coach Collin Benjamin’s Namibia side to finish their campaign on a slightly positive note.

With more positive expectations after last week's 0-0 draw against Cameroon, the game was a balanced affair, with Kenya holding a slight edge in ball possession at 53% compared to Namibia’s 47%.

The first half saw limited attacking action, with neither side managing a shot on target.

Riaan Hanamub captained the Brave Warriors, with Elmo Kambindu brought in to start in a striking role with Peter Shalulile played off the bench.

The second half, however, brought moments of promise for Namibia. In the 55th minute, Willy Stephanus unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the box, but Kenya’s goalkeeper made an excellent save to deny him in the top centre of the goal.

Later, in the 81st minute, Elmo Kambindu came close with a header from the centre of the box, but once again, the Kenyan goalkeeper was up to the task, keeping the scores level.

Despite Namibia’s spirited performance and keeping a clean sheet, their struggles in the tournament were evident. The Brave Warriors finished bottom of Group J, securing just two points from six matches. Throughout the qualifiers, Namibia managed to score only two goals while conceding seven.

Cameroon solidified their dominance in the group by defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in their final match to finish comfortably at the top of the table. Zimbabwe secured the second qualification spot, leaving Kenya and Namibia in third and fourth place, respectively, and out of next year’s tournament in Morocco.

Yesterday's drawn result was the first in the head-to-head history between the two nations, with Namibia still leading Kenya with four wins against three since 1996.

With their Afcon journey over, the Brave Warriors will now shift focus to the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Their next challenge will be a crucial match against Malawi in March 2025, as they aim to rebuild and strive for better performances on the international stage.