Out of contention for AFCON, Namibia switches focus to World Cup qualifiers

The Brave Warriors play their penultimate Group J game against group leaders Cameroon, at the Orlando Stadium this afternoon (15:00) and still searching for their first point in this campaign.

In the World Cup qualifiers that will resume in March next year, they are second in Group H, with eight points from four matches, just two points behind Tunisia.

"Most definitely, I think our focus now is really on building and giving our game basically another side to it in preparation for those World Cup games. I think the players, we had a very good talk today. We are looking at that and this is definitely a build-up towards that and we are looking forward to," Benjamin said.

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At the beginning of the year, Benjamin and the Brave Warriors made history when they reached the knockout phase for the first time at the AFCON, but their results in this qualification campaign means that they can’t repeat that feat again in Morocco next year. Benjamin says it’s a good motivation playing a Cameroonian team that has already qualified.

"Interesting game, in the sense that we are playing against a very good team. A team that qualified and for us  we know that we are not in the running but I think there's still a lot at stake,” he added.

“The most important one is pride, we are Brave Warriors against adversity, we have to fight. We have to fight to be and that's what we are looking at in this game, not an easy one but we have to find a good balance. I'm confident that we are gonna have a good game."

In the 2023 AFCON qualification campaign, Namibia took four points from a possible six against the Indomitable Lions and the second most successful footballing nation on the continent.

This also included the historic 1-0 win over them at the Dobsonville Stadium, and Benjamin says this game is all about national pride.

"Most definitely, I think for us as Namibia, we were never handed something on a silver platter, we have to fight for everything and it's the same case against Cameroon. I think the motivation for us is national pride."