Good result expected against Lesotho

Namibia will be expectant of a good result in their first away match of the preliminary qualifying round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) when they come up against Lesotho on Saturday at 18:00 at Bloemfontein Stadium in South Africa.

It will be a different-looking side compared to the players used during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, given that the CHAN tournament only caters for locally-based players.

The new faces include Eeshoke Chula Chula coach John Sikerete who has been called up to lead a national team for the first time.

Sikerete has vast experience in local football and recently ensured that his club Eeshoke Chula Chula finished fifth in their maiden season of top-flight football. More recently, they also beat league champions African Stars 2-0 in the Hage Geingob Cup exhibition match last Saturday.

The coach is however task with ensuring that the representative national team fielded with local players pass its first hurdle by beating Lesotho over two legs in the next week.

The coach said he was looking forward to the match and expects the players to be fired-up against Lesotho.

“I am grateful for such an opportunity and we expect a good result against Lesotho.

“Yes, it is true that many of the players have not played competitive football this season because the league has not started, but things look promising on the training field and we are going to give it our all,” Sikerete said.

The coach yesterday also named his final squad for the Lesotho matches that will be played at Bloemfontein Stadium on 26 October and on 2 November. The aggregate winner will progress to face Angola in the final round of qualifiers.

One key player included among the travellers is last season’s premier league top goal-scorer Willy Stephanus, as well as some players that featured at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations and some of this year’s Afcon qualifiers.

Goalkeeper Kamijanda Ndisiro, Ngero Katua and Charles Hambira were all part of the Namibian team that reached the round of 16 at the 2023 Afcon that was played early this year in Ivory Coast. In midfield, Wangu Gome is another name who is not short of experience.

Sikerete has also mixed in a couple of exciting younger players such as Ongos FC’s Simon Elago and Chula Chula’s Eliakim Jackson.

The CHAN tournament is scheduled for February 2025, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda .

Namibia will seek their third-ever qualification. Their last appearance was in Cameroon 2020, following their best showing of reaching the quarter-finals at Morocco 2018.

Leonard “Katti” Nambandi of Mighty Gunners will be assistant coach to Sikerete during this period.

The selected players for the match in Bloemfontein:

Goalkeepers: John Muronga (Chula Chula), Tomwell Damaseb (Mighty Gunners), Kamaijanda Ndisiro (African Stars).

Defenders: Charles Hambira (African Stars), Erasmus Ikeinge (Chula Chula), Kennedy Eib (Chula Chula), Ngero Katua (African Stars), David Aingwafa (Chula Chula), Tuli Nashxiwa (Tigers), Sergio Damaseb (Mighty Gunners), Petrus Kamati (NCS).

Midfielders: Devin Somseb (Tigers), Godwin Eiseb (African Stars), Lawrence Doeseb (Chula Chula), Pollen Rooi (Young Brazilians FC), Elago Simon (Ongos FC), Paulus Amutenya (Unam FC), Mbakondja Tjahikika (African Stars).

Forwards: Willy Stephanus (African Stars), Fares Haidula (Chula Chula), Eliakim Jackson (Chula Chula), George Marcelinu (Chula Chula).



HEAD TO HEAD

Namibia (vs Lesotho): Played 11, won 4, drew 3, lost 4.