Namibia will host a four-nations soccer tournament in Walvis Bay during the Easter weekend that will see some of the best Under-17s in the region and beyond in action.
According to the NFA Youth Football Coordinator Jakes Amaning the tournament will be played from April 2 to 5 at the Kuisebmund Stadium in Walvis Bay with selected national teams from Namibia, Botswana and Angola, as well as Namibia’s loyal development friends, Westphalia from Germany.
“We need these kind of competitions to keep the boys busy and expose them to other players at an early age and this tournament has a great track record as far as development is concerned,” Amaning said.
The last time this tournament was played was two years ago at the same venue with Westphalia beating Namibia in the final, but according to Amaning, the tables will be turned this time around.
“We recently had the national Under-17 championships where we selected our best players and come the Easter weekend all Namibians who will be there will see for themselves what talent we have in this country,” he said.
Namibia will also use the round-robin tournament to prepare for the 2011 Africa Under-17 Championship qualifier match against South Africa on April 11 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.
“We came close last time and this time we have to make sure of beating them. With the team we have at our disposal, anything is possible,” he said.
A squad of 26 players will start a training camp on Thursday in Windhoek under the guidance of coach Woody Jacobs and his assistants Joseph Swartz and Christie Guruseb.
The Namibian squad:
Gavin Tsauseb, Andy Balzar, Zeandro Wells, Salam Pamp, Kamuhita Katjimune, Aloys Kandunda, Innocent Tembo, Romeo Endjala, Edmund Kamanda, Jacky Josef, Baggio Amunje, Jaquest Uwukhaeb, Utjange Hange, Mervin Louw, Enrico Hoebeb, Icencous Mutuku, Brandon Goagoseb, Vevangapi Kandorozu, Collin Pieters, Leighton Wemmert, Whilly Goseb, Anton Mukonda, Mcbride Ndjavera, Benjamin Nenkavi, Olan Gaeseb and Setrick Dantu.