Euros no excuse for missing Warriors’ match

I found it absolutely amusing - people complaining about Namibia’s choice of kickoff time when the Brave Warriors played Kenya last weekend.

There were predominantly two complaints regarding the 18:00 start.

The first complaint, which is understandable, is that the Independence Stadium is quite chilly that time of day during winter.

I have personal experience of that. Most of the journalists who were pitch side had to jump up and down in an effort to keep warm.

Nevertheless, that problem is easily surmountable as a lot of us have already thought of methods to avoid the cold when Namibia host Liberia this Saturday - at the same kick-off time.

The second complaint, though, is totally preposterous, at least in my opinion.

Apparently, the fact that Namibia’s game is scheduled roughly at the same time as matches in the European Championships (Euros), hampered some fans from turning up at the field.

This is silly, because if you claim to be a fan of Namibian football then something that happens thousands of kilometres away should really not prevent you from supporting what is yours.

I can’t imagine that a fan from one of the European countries would chose to watch the African Cup of Nations when their own country is in action.

So, any person who would rather watch the Euros instead of their own country play, should not call themselves fans of Namibian football.

Having gotten the negative out of the way, I have to commend the thousands of supporters who did brave the cold and attended the match.

The atmosphere was absolutely awe inspiring and it wasn’t since 1999, when we played South Africa in the Cosafa Cup, that we had such a crowd at the Independence Stadium.

I clearly remember that day - I was behind Namibia’s keeper Ronnie Kanalelo’s goal posts during the penalty shootout.

I’d like to believe we played a part in the win because we shouted the keeper’s name, which probably inspired him to make two great saves to see Namibia winning 4-2 on penalties (after the game ended 1-1).

And this is exactly the same spirit we must embrace when Namibia play Liberia tomorrow.