New Sekhukhune United signing Bethel Muzeu scored the only goal of the game as Namibia emerged victorious from the first fixture of the group phase of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, overcoming Congo 1-0 in Gaborone on Thursday.
The opening Group G game was played in neutral Botswana because Namibia do not have a stadium fit to host international matches, but the Brave Warriors still emerged with all three points.
Muzeu rose unmarked between the Congo defenders to head home Riaan Hanamub’s looping cross from the right in the 47th minute.
Namibia’s coach Collin Benjamin fielded a side full of South African-based talent with Muzeu and Hanamub (AmaZulu) being joined by veteran left-wing Deon Hotto (Orlando Pirates) and two players from Highbury in the Motsepe Foundation Championship in goalkeeper Ndisiro Kamijanda and defender Ngero Katua.
The starting line-up also included Premier Soccer League all-time leading goalscorer Peter Shalulile, who is now playing in Tanzania, and midfield hardman Aprocious Petrus, formerly with Cape Town City but now on the books at Al Hilal in Sudan.
Namibia, who have qualified for the finals four times previously, now head to the Comoros for their second qualifier on Tuesday before playing a friendly against Russia in Yekaterinburg next weekend.
Cameroon and Comoros are the other two teams in Group G and play in Garoua later on Thursday as they get their respective campaigns underway. The top two sides in the standings at the end of the qualifiers in March advance to next June’s finals, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.