Namibia’s women under 17 football team received a rude awakening after suffering a 12-0 scoreline defeat in their first match of the 2022 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 games at the Bingu National Stadium, in Lilongwe on Saturday.

The Namibians conceded as early as the third minute and that opened the floodgates as the South Africans ran riot scoring six goals in each half to inflict a record defeat to any Namibian football team.

Namibia coach Eveline Noreses told Nampa at the end of the game that she was not happy with the results as she expected a better outcome against their opponents.

“South Africa was a better team than us and we had hoped to give them a run for their money. We are however happy with the opportunity presented to us to participate in this tournament,” she said.

Noreses added that they have a five-year plan with the under-17 team but the scoreline is very discouraging and it calls for the Namibia Football Association to go back to the drawing board.

She said she is now focused on the upcoming game against Malawi, who are making their debut at the tournament and lost to South Africa by a 4-1 scoreline.

“The next game presents new opportunities, a clean slate and we are hoping that we train once or twice before we play the next game. Our training has not been ideal since our arrival here in Malawi,” Noreses stressed.

The coach added they have learnt lessons such as the fitness levels of her team which were way below the required standards.

“Our preparations were affected by the exams so we could not work with the girls effectively. Such competitions need intense preparations so that the girls can compete,” she concluded.

Namibia was the last-minute replacement of Mauritius at the tournament after the Islanders withdrew from the football competitions.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency