Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Brave Gladiators owe it to themselves to reach the Women’s Africa Cup Nations, head coach Woody Jacobs said following Wednesday’s goalless stalemate in the first-leg final-round qualifier against Zambia.
His side put in a disciplined shift to contain a sustained assault from the Copper Queens inside the Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
More of the same, plus a cutting edge upfront on Tuesday during the return leg the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg will see Namibia qualify for Morocco 2022 in July for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2014.
“The most important thing for me is that we can go away from Zambia and have the second match relevant in the sense that we were not overawed,” Jacobs said.
“I know we must be the happier of the two teams, but there’s still work to do. We want to qualify for Afcon, but in front of us is a formidable side.
“Overall I’m just pleased. I’m proud for the way the girls got stuck in and stopped a very dangerous Zambian side.”
Namibian ace Zenatha Coleman hardly had a kick in the match, with the Zambians swarming the gifted forward at every opportunity.
She did put in a shift nonetheless, defending from the front, and had a shout for a penalty waved away just before half-time.
Jacobs wants Coleman and co to be more of an attacking threat in the return leg.
“We’re looking forward to the second match. It’s good to come away from a difficult place with a draw,” said Jacobs.
“The Zambians did a good defensive job on her, but I’m not too worried because I know how decisive she can be at any given moment.
“I’m relying more on the quality of the team than individuals. We need to play better and not give the ball away as much as we did, because you can only defend so well for so long.
“We need to get stronger, and we will be stronger for the next match.”
In contrast, the result heaps pressure on a Zambian side, which lip up the Olympic Games in Japan and finished third at the Cosafa Women’s Championship.
The hosts, missing star attacker Barbra Banda through injury, dominated the contest, laying siege to the visitors’ rearguard which held firm.
Zambia coach Bruce Mwepu said Banda was sorely missed, which pointed to an over-reliance on the China-based forward.
“If you compare with Barbra, there’s a big difference between her and the ones we are using at the moment. But there’s nothing we can do. These are the players we’ve got, so we just have to push them,” Mwepu said.
Zambia, eyeing their third and second consecutive appearance at the continental showpiece, will hope for a more open contest in Johannesburg after hitting a brick wall at home.
Jacobs said the Gladiators deployed a need-must approach and were not intentionally playing negative football.
“We were playing a very formidable side, and today was no joke. At times we were riding our luck, especially the first half, but the second half we came back stronger,” he said.
“It was a case of horses for causes. We knew we had to defend well and limit our mistakes, which is what we did.
“Yes, we didn’t get on the scoresheet, but with a bit of luck, incisiveness and determination we can get in behind the Zambian defence,” Jacobs said.
Elsewhere, Burundi and Burkina Faso took big steps to securing a place at their first continental finals after impressive wins in their second-round play-off first legs.
Burundi, who are unranked by Fifa, are virtually guaranteed of their spot after crushing Djibouti 6-1 at home, while Burkina Faso thrashed Guinea-Bissau 6-0 away from home, and Senegal edged out Mali 1-0.
Uganda, who were given a ‘bye’ after Kenya withdrew, and hosts Morocco are already assured of a place at the finals, which will be played from 2 to 23 July this year.
Africa’s representatives for the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be decided at the Nations Cup, with the semi-finalists all booking spots in Australia and New Zealand.
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