Young Warriors finish fourth at COSAFA
Namibia’s Young Warriors ended their 2026 COSAFA Under-20 Cup campaign in fourth place after Zambia claimed a 3-0 victory in Sunday’s third-place play-off.
The result followed an impressive group-stage campaign in which Namibia won all three matches without conceding a goal.
The Young Warriors opened with a 1-0 victory over Mauritius, followed by another 1-0 win against hosts Mozambique before beating Seychelles 3-0.
Namibia finished top of Group A with nine points, five goals scored and three clean sheets.
Their reward was a semi-final against Mozambique, who advanced as the best runner-up after edging Angola on Fair Play points. Both sides finished on six points, with nine goals scored and two conceded.
Namibia’s unbeaten run ended in the semi-final as Mozambique progressed to the final, before Zambia secured third place with another convincing display.
Gift Mumbi opened the scoring before Sipho Muntanga added two goals to complete Zambia’s 3-0 victory.
Namibia coach Lucky Shipanga said the tournament provided valuable exposure for a young squad that had limited preparation.
“I’m glad that I had the opportunity to showcase the young talent,” Shipanga said.
He felt the workload eventually caught up with his players, particularly in the second half.
“In the short time that we had, and also the game that we played with Mozambique, it was too much because in the second half you could see that the power was not there.”
Shipanga also acknowledged Zambia’s experience and preparation.
“Tactically, we knew that we were going to play with the former champions, Zambia. They have been there, they knew, they understood and they prepared themselves nicely.”
For Shipanga, finishing remains an area requiring attention.
“Football is about scoring goals. When it comes to scoring goals, or becoming clinical, it has become a problem.”
He also identified pace, particularly on the wings, as another area for improvement.
“We are going back to the drawing board, taking up what we have learned from this game. You need to have power, pace and pace on the wings.”
Despite the disappointing finish, Shipanga believes the experience will benefit the young players.
“The youth should play every time. The youth should be exposed to bigger opportunities like this one,” he said.
“Most of them are not yet there, but we must hold them together and groom them until they become those who have played at this level.”
South Africa and Zambia both completed perfect group-stage campaigns, with Zambia eventually claiming third place. The two finalists secured qualification for the 2027 CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Shipanga thanked COSAFA for providing Namibia’s youngsters with the opportunity to compete at regional level.
“The moment is very big for my youth, but we are going back and we are coming back once again.”
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