Junior men close World Cup on a high

The Namibian U21 field hockey boys closed out their maiden FIH Junior Men’s World Cup campaign in style on Monday, defeating Oman 4-2 in their second win of the tournament – a significant milestone at this level.Namibia will officially finish 23rd, but the result speaks of a side that has grown immensely through their debut World Cup appearance in Madurai, India.The Namibians got off to a slow start after Oman’s Al Wahaibi Maitham converted a first-quarter penalty stroke. The response was brilliant, with Josh van der Merwe and Gerhard Myburgh scoring in quick succession to give Namibia a 2-1 halftime lead. The third quarter saw less clear opportunities, but Oman’s captain, Al Hasni Alhussin, equalised in the fourth. Namibia’s task grew tougher when Abraham Graham was handed a 10-minute suspension in the 52nd minute, leaving the boys to defend the final stretch with 10 men. But just two minutes later, John-Paul Britz stepped up once again, powering home a penalty corner in the 54th minute to restore the lead. With Oman throwing everything forward in the dying seconds, Namibia sealed the victory through Ludwig van Rooyen, who scored moments before the final whistle to clinch a 4–2 win.Happy to end on a highPlayer of the match John-Paul Britz, who finished the World Cup with an impressive five goals, was proud of the team’s effort and what the victory meant for their campaign.“It feels good. Happy to have ended the World Cup with a win. I know it's not the placing we wanted, our aims were higher, but it was nice to see how the boys fought back after two devastating losses against Austria and Canada.“We ended the tournament on a high and with two wins at a World Cup. I think it's a first time for Namibian history to achieve that.“We’re proud of that, and it’s something we’re going to take away for the future guys. We want to encourage people back home to send us to these type of tournaments so players get more experience at the top level.”On being named player of the match, he added: “Today was very tough. Oman came out very hard. Just happy it went our way in the end. The boys fought hard until the end, and scoring in the last ten seconds showed that.”Head coach Johan Weyhe praised his team’s character, emphasising the significance of Namibia’s two wins in their World Cup debut.“I don't think people in Namibia will know what it's like to win your second game at the World Cup. It’s the first time we play (field hockey) at this level, and to manage two wins is a big achievement.“We had the honour to play against Spain, who has now reached the final. What an achievement. I’m very proud of the boys. They really did Namibia proud.”Looking ahead, Weyhe stressed the importance of building on the experience gained in India.“Now the coaches need to bring all that knowledge back home and start preparing already for the next World Cup in two years, as well as the qualifiers. Namibia should go all out for it.”He ended with a light-hearted message for supporters: “We will be at home on the 12th ... and the first thing I need is a steak on the braai. That’ll put a smile on every player’s face.”Breaking new groundNamibia’s journey to the Junior World Cup was ground-breaking. The side qualified after finishing runner-up at the 2024 Men’s Junior Africa Cup in Windhoek, defeating Egypt, ranked 15th in the world. For a country with only five hockey clubs, this achievement highlights the potential of young Namibian players.Many team members, including Britz, come from an indoor hockey background, which has sharpened skills such as stick work and ball control. Despite limited full-on preparation, with players scattered across South Africa, the team competed fiercely against some of the world’s top junior sides.While the campaign featured tough losses to powerhouses Belgium, Austria (in a shoot-out, after a 2-2 draw), Canada (2-3) and Spain, who are now heading to the final, their two victories at the tournament provide a platform for the future. As Weyhe put it, “A course has been charted for young Namibians to replicate, if not surpass, what these pioneers have accomplished.”

Junior men close World Cup on a high

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-11

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Junior men close World Cup on a high

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-11

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