COSAFA Women’s Championship: ‘Nobody gave Namibia a chance’ – Kakuva

Namibia senior women’s team coach Lesley Kakuva has disclosed the secret behind their upset of COSAFA Women’s Championship outgoing champions Zambia in South Africa on Friday.

Speaking after stunning the Copperbelt Queens with a 1-0 victory at Old Peter Mokaba in Polokwane in the semifinal match, the coach attributed their heroics to a sound game-plan and self-belief.

🇳🇦𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟!🔥

The Brave Gladiators are through to the COSAFA Cup 2026 final, beating Zambia 1-0 in the semi-finals thanks to Juliana Blou’s 89th-minute goal.

Zenatha Coleman – player of the match.

We will face South Africa or Zimbabwe. pic.twitter.com/xG0aYEG7LX

— 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚 🇳🇦 (@FootyNamibia) February 27, 2026

“Very interesting. That is the power of the game of football. Sometimes nobody gives you a chance, but then this was a very important game for us. We know how great Zambia is. We have played them for quite some time. We came up with a very good strategy. It was important that sometimes you play to your strength,” Kakuva said.

The Brave Gladiators explained how he set up his girls to execute the game-plan emphasing why tactical discipline in defence was critical to the success.

“Coming back to the game, our motto today was to let them have the ball, but it was also important for us to have tactical discipline. That is what we did. Our game-plan was to work on the transitional moments then we exploited it to the maximum. I am very happy for my girls. It is our first COSAFA final,” he said.

Substitute Juliana Blou’s 90th-minute goal earned Namibia the shock 1-0 victory over Zambia to qualify for the final. It is the first time that Kavuta’s girls have reached the final of the regional championship.

How South Africa qualified for the final

In another semifinal, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana overpowered Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors 4-2 on post-match penalties on Friday to book the final place.

The Brave Gladiators will face Banyana Banyana in the final at the same Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on the 11-member regional women’s football championship which has returned after a year-long absence.

The Namibia senior women’s national team head coach Lesley Kakuva has revealed the secret behind their stunning victory over defending champions Zambia in the COSAFA Women’s Championship semifinal played in South Africa on Friday.

The Brave Gladiators produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament when Namibia defeated Zambia 1-0 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane to secure a historic place in the final of the regional competition.

Speaking after the impressive victory, Kakuva credited the result to a strong tactical game plan and the belief his players had throughout the match.

According to the Namibia coach, many people had written off his team before the game, but the players remained confident that they could challenge the reigning champions if they executed their strategy correctly.

“Very interesting. That is the power of the game of football. Sometimes nobody gives you a chance, but this was a very important game for us. We know how great Zambia is. We have played them for quite some time. We came up with a very good strategy. It was important that sometimes you play to your strength,” Kakuva said.

The coach further explained that tactical discipline played a crucial role in helping Namibia contain the attacking threats posed by Zambia, who entered the match as favorites to reach the final.

Throughout the match, Namibia remained organized defensively and patiently waited for opportunities to launch counterattacks against the Copper Queens.

“Coming back to the game, our motto today was to let them have the ball, but it was also important for us to have tactical discipline. That is what we did. Our game plan was to work on the transitional moments, then we exploited it to the maximum. I am very happy for my girls. It is our first COSAFA final,” the Namibia coach added.

The breakthrough moment came late in the match when substitute Juliana Blou scored a dramatic goal in the closing stages to give Namibia a famous 1-0 victory.

Blou’s goal in the 89th minute sparked celebrations among the Namibia players and supporters, as the Brave Gladiators secured their first-ever appearance in the COSAFA Women’s Championship final.

The historic achievement represents a major milestone for women’s football in Namibia, with the team showing remarkable determination and resilience throughout the tournament.

For the Brave Gladiators, reaching the final highlights the progress that Namibia has made in recent years as the national team continues to develop and compete strongly against some of the top sides in southern Africa.

Meanwhile, the other semifinal match produced another exciting encounter as South Africa’s Banyana Banyana faced Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors for a place in the final.

After a closely contested game that ended level, South Africa eventually defeated Zimbabwe 4-2 in a penalty shootout to secure their place in the championship match.

As a result, Namibia will now face hosts South Africa in what promises to be an exciting COSAFA Women’s Championship final.

The decisive match will take place at the same Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday, bringing the tournament to a thrilling conclusion.

For Namibia, the final presents an opportunity to make even more history by winning their first COSAFA Women’s Championship title.

Coach Lesley Kakuva will be hoping that the Brave Gladiators can maintain the same tactical discipline and fighting spirit that helped Namibia overcome Zambia in the semifinal.

With confidence growing in the squad and momentum on their side, Namibia will now aim to deliver another strong performance as they battle South Africa for the regional crown.