Namibia Women’s National Team head coach Lesely Kavuka has responded to Zambia coach Charles Haalubono’s claims that his side was overly defensive against the Copper Queens at the COSAFA Women’s Championship.
Speaking after guiding Namibia to their first COSAFA Women’s Championship title with a 2-1 victory over hosts South Africa on Sunday afternoon, Kavuka addressed the remarks made by the Zambian coach, whose team lost 1-0 to Namibia in the semifinals.
“I heard one of the coaches saying that the opposition was playing defensively. So football is such a game; you need to find solutions, especially finding offensive solutions. Attacking solutions are not easy, but to work on your defence is easy because you just need to close the lines and then play in transition,” Kavuka said.
Kavuka also assessed the chances of Zambia and South Africa at the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled for Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026, despite uncertainty surrounding the tournament amid rumours it could be postponed.
“I think women’s football in Southern Africa is on the up, and then going forward it can only get better,” he said.
“But then Zambia and South Africa, especially South Africa, have won the WAFCON before. Zambia is starting to take over as far as Southern Africa is concerned. I think they stand a good chance, either Zambia or South Africa, to make inroads as far as this WAFCON is concerned.”
Cosafa good for Zambia, SA – Kavuka
He noted that the competition provided an opportunity for teams to test fringe players who could be included in their final squads.
“I think it’s good for Zambia and South Africa to have participated; maybe they could expose some of the players that usually don’t play,” he stated.
“In terms of our population, we are a small country, as far as population is concerned, so the pool of players keeps on improving. But I think we played both countries (Zambia & South Africa), and then obviously football is a work in progress; we play to our strengths.”
Namibia defeated both Zambia and South Africa on their way to lifting their first-ever COSAFA Women’s Championship title.
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