Namibia miss out on football bronze
The under-20 national women's football team missed out on a bronze medal against Zimbabwe at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five Under-20 Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday.
The Namibians lost 2-0 in the third-place playoff against Zimbabwe at the University of Botswana stadium. Namibia started the game on a low note, as their opponents dominated play in the opening 25 minutes of the game.
The Zimbabwe team had composure throughout the opening minutes of the match, with impressive passes as well as runs.
Namibia, in contrast, had little to show in the opening minutes of the match but gained momentum as the game pushed towards the halftime break.
The first half ended 0-0 but in the second half Zimbabwe opened the scoring as early as the 46th minute with a long-range shot, which caught Namibian goalkeeper Queandra Batista off-guard.
Despite conceding an early goal in the second half, the Namibian girls stood their ground and created scoring chances, which they failed to capitalise on.
Batista was once again caught off-guard by the Zimbabwean team in the 87th minute with a free-kick from long range, which was the final nail in the Namibia's coffin and guaranteed Zimbabwe third place and the bronze medal.
Namibian coach Kasaona Uerikondjera said they had the game under control and things would have been different if they did not concede two silly goals from long-range.
“We once again had a good plan which worked out well for us, but in the end we failed to win the bronze because of individual mistakes.
“I'm proud of the girls' hard work and performance, and we are now looking forward to other competitions,” she said.
-NAMPA
The Namibians lost 2-0 in the third-place playoff against Zimbabwe at the University of Botswana stadium. Namibia started the game on a low note, as their opponents dominated play in the opening 25 minutes of the game.
The Zimbabwe team had composure throughout the opening minutes of the match, with impressive passes as well as runs.
Namibia, in contrast, had little to show in the opening minutes of the match but gained momentum as the game pushed towards the halftime break.
The first half ended 0-0 but in the second half Zimbabwe opened the scoring as early as the 46th minute with a long-range shot, which caught Namibian goalkeeper Queandra Batista off-guard.
Despite conceding an early goal in the second half, the Namibian girls stood their ground and created scoring chances, which they failed to capitalise on.
Batista was once again caught off-guard by the Zimbabwean team in the 87th minute with a free-kick from long range, which was the final nail in the Namibia's coffin and guaranteed Zimbabwe third place and the bronze medal.
Namibian coach Kasaona Uerikondjera said they had the game under control and things would have been different if they did not concede two silly goals from long-range.
“We once again had a good plan which worked out well for us, but in the end we failed to win the bronze because of individual mistakes.
“I'm proud of the girls' hard work and performance, and we are now looking forward to other competitions,” she said.
-NAMPA
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