Brave Gladiators Triumph in Friendly Against Liechtenstein
The Namibia national women's football team, affectionately known as the Brave Gladiators, secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their second and final friendly match on Saturday. This win comes after a 1-1 draw in their first encounter on Thursday, which marked Namibia's debut against European opposition in an international setting.
The match took place at Freizeit Park in Rugell, kicking off at 10:00 and saw Namibia demonstrating their prowess on the pitch. As in their previous game, the Brave Gladiators scored the opening goal from a corner. Memory Ngonda delivered a precise ball into the box, and Utuzuvira Kahiriri rose to head it past the Liechtenstein goalkeeper, giving Namibia a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.
The Brave Gladiators continued their momentum with some exquisite play just before halftime. A series of brilliant passes between Ngonda and Viola Vliete culminated in Ngonda slamming the ball into the net, doubling Namibia’s lead to 2-0. This fluid play and sharp finishing highlighted the team's growing cohesion and attacking capability.
Following the match, Brave Gladiators head coach Woody Jacobs expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating, “I am very happy with the ladies for showing up the way they did. Despite the draw in the first game, I knew we could get one over Liechtenstein.”
Jacobs lauded 19-year-old Utuzuvira Kahiriri, who scored her first international goal, emphasising her promising future.
These friendly matches are crucial for Namibia's preparations ahead of the COSAFA Cup scheduled for October. The Brave Gladiators' best performance in the tournament came in 2006, when they were runners-up to South Africa. Jacobs reflected on this, noting, “We take this learning experience back home and implement it. Our objective is to reach the final and win it, emulating the success of the men’s team who triumphed in 2015.”
With these encouraging results and a clear focus on their upcoming challenges, the Brave Gladiators are poised to make a strong impact at the COSAFA Cup.
The match took place at Freizeit Park in Rugell, kicking off at 10:00 and saw Namibia demonstrating their prowess on the pitch. As in their previous game, the Brave Gladiators scored the opening goal from a corner. Memory Ngonda delivered a precise ball into the box, and Utuzuvira Kahiriri rose to head it past the Liechtenstein goalkeeper, giving Namibia a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.
The Brave Gladiators continued their momentum with some exquisite play just before halftime. A series of brilliant passes between Ngonda and Viola Vliete culminated in Ngonda slamming the ball into the net, doubling Namibia’s lead to 2-0. This fluid play and sharp finishing highlighted the team's growing cohesion and attacking capability.
Following the match, Brave Gladiators head coach Woody Jacobs expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating, “I am very happy with the ladies for showing up the way they did. Despite the draw in the first game, I knew we could get one over Liechtenstein.”
Jacobs lauded 19-year-old Utuzuvira Kahiriri, who scored her first international goal, emphasising her promising future.
These friendly matches are crucial for Namibia's preparations ahead of the COSAFA Cup scheduled for October. The Brave Gladiators' best performance in the tournament came in 2006, when they were runners-up to South Africa. Jacobs reflected on this, noting, “We take this learning experience back home and implement it. Our objective is to reach the final and win it, emulating the success of the men’s team who triumphed in 2015.”
With these encouraging results and a clear focus on their upcoming challenges, the Brave Gladiators are poised to make a strong impact at the COSAFA Cup.
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