WINDHOEK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Under-17 football squad will kick off their Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Championship journey on Thursday, July 19, when they lock horns with Seychelles at the St Francois Xavier Stadium in Mauritius.
The other teams in Group A are Botswana and hosts Mauritius.
After weeks of intensive training and conditioning, the 2016 COSAFA Cup winning mentor and Head of Delegation, Timothy Tjongarero, said in a statement on Tuesday that he was content with the players' overall physical fitness levels, despite a few worries around their match fitness.
"Another worrying aspect is the lack of harmony among the players, as our usual combinations are not yet clicking, but I am confident we will get there with time," he added.
Namibia won the COSAFA Under-17 Championship in 2016 after defeating favorites South Africa 3-1 on penalties in the final that was also staged in Mauritius, but missed out on attending last year's tournament owing to a lack of funds.
Namibia's technical team, comprising coach Paul Malembu and his assistant Shipena Nakalondo, flew to Mauritius with a contingent of 20 players for this year's event.
Elsewhere, South Africa are placed in Group B, together with Lesotho, Zambia and Mozambique, while Angola, Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe will face off in Group C.
The semifinals will be on July 27, with the Group A winners facing the Group C winners, and the Group B winners taking on the most successful second-placed team.
The final will be on July 29, with the eventual winners qualifying for the 2019 African Under-17 Cup of Nations to be held in Tanzania.
