The world at his feet

Prins Tjiueza is the talk of the town, after scoring six goals at the just-ended Under-17 Cosafa Cup tournament in Mauritius, while earning himself the gold boot award.

He scored four goals in the Baby Warriors' opening match against the Seychelles, before adding one against Botswana and another in the third place playoff against Mauritius, which Namibia won.

The 16-year-old, who plays for first division side Flamingo Football Club, said his achievement is not his alone, but also belongs to his teammates.

“We trained hard and just wanted to do well. This was my first Cosafa Cup experience and it has been the best, as I got the chance to represent my nation,” said Tjiueza, who is a Grade 10 pupil at Tutaleni High School in Walvis Bay.

He said he aspires to someday feature in the Brave Warriors side and also wants to play in a European league.

He also wants to further his studies in an accounting-related field.

“I just want to play football to the best of my ability. I draw inspiration from a player like Philippe Coutinho,” he said.

Coutinho is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Spanish club Barcelona.

Tjiueza's dreams are not farfetched, as Warriors gaffer Ricardo Mannetti has been following the young attacker's performances and emphasised he and the other rising stars in the Baby Warriors team should work hard if they want to don the senior jersey sooner rather than later.

“People must not be surprised if they see Prins or any other player from this U-17 team in the senior team in the near future,” Mannetti said.

“Their journey towards the senior national team will, however, depend on how they continue to play well and remain disciplined after the Cosafa tournament.

“I'm not saying a call-up can happen soon, but if all goes well for him (Prins) and many other players in the team, they can earn a chance to wear the jersey of the senior team in three years' time.”

Baby Warriors coach Paul Mallembu expressed satisfaction with the team's performances and said Mannetti attended all their training matches and gave advice on training methods.

“He encouraged the boys to take football seriously and also ensured that they receive proper guidance, so that they can be promoted to the U-20 and U-23 teams, which serve as feeders to the senior side.”

Mallembu said apart from Tjiueza, Promise Gurirab, Steven Damaseb and Byron Eiseb were incredible in defence.

“They showed maturity and tactical awareness and really performed well in the tournament.”

He added the championship is great platform for the youthful players, as it accords them the opportunity to brush shoulders with the best.

“It has grown in leaps and bounds. The stage is getting bigger and better every year. As Namibians we must embrace the tournament in order for our boys to pick up great lessons. We cannot play in the World Cup if we are failing to beat powerhouses in our region.

“Through Cosafa, the boys can learn from a lot from Angola, Zambia and Mozambique; these countries have proper youth structures in place,” Mallembu added.

LIMBA MUPETAMI