Namibia ready for Copa Coca-Cola Africa Cup of Nations

The Pan-African Under-16 tournament, Copa Coca-Cola, which is held to develop young footballers into the next generation of stars, will kick off on 2 December.Namibia has selected 16 players to represent the country. They will compete against players from 11 other countries, namely host and defending champions Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Angola and Botswana.The tournament, with the theme 'Bigger for Better', seeks to promote a level playing field by bringing together players from different backgrounds and cultures for one goal, which is to be the African champion. “The Copa Africa Cup is a platform that will go a long way in ensuring that learners are the next generation of football stars. The array of stars the tournament has provided to the national football teams of the participating teams is a testament of the crucial nature of the games. “Our partner, the Namibia Schools Sports Union (NSSU), has immensely supported and managed the tourney ensuring the success of the games,” said Terreisha Naidoo, Namibia Coca-Cola brand manager.She added that Copa Coca-Cola has changed the lives of many teenagers and Namibia will be one of the markets to benefit from this tournament.The Namibians are in pool C, where they will face Uganda and Ethiopia. They will play Uganda in their first match and complete their group stage games with a date against Ethiopia in the afternoon. The Coca-Cola Company enables people around the world to celebrate their passion for football. The company is one of the longest-serving corporate partners of Fifa with a formal relationship since 1974 and an official sponsorship of Fifa World Cup that began in 1978.“Previously, the company invested in taking outstanding players in specialised training in the Copa Coca-Cola global camps where they visited most of the football iconic cities. “Now, we are exposing them to friendly professional competitions, a wide range of coaches and scouts from the best football clubs all over Africa in a bid to ensure they are scouted to continue their football journey. “We urge all football stakeholders, parents, teachers and scouts to walk with us in this journey of unearthing African football talents and skills,” said Phillipine Mtikitiki, general manager of Coca-Cola East and Central Africa.The games are part of the company's wider commitment to improve the sport in the continent. Since 1989, The Copa Coca-Cola tournament has been played in Africa each year, with the first country to play being Zimbabwe. The selected players are: James Hamupembe, Markus Elia, Eliasel Temus, Yogine Awaseb, Muhupua Urika, Romeo Routh, John Araeb, Giovanny Gaingob, Naameontu Haihuna, Efraim Mbango, Thomas Kangulu, Marc Haraseb, Ismael Ndjene, Andries Henry, Andrias Zandoke and Benediktus Thikusho.LIMBA MUPETAMI

Namibia ready for Copa Coca-Cola Africa Cup of Nations

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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Namibia ready for Copa Coca-Cola Africa Cup of Nations

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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