Kenya’s hopes of flying the East African flag at the 2024 CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations were extinguished on home soil as Namibia secured a clinical 10-6 victory at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Wednesday afternoon.
Despite a spirited first-half performance that saw the “Harambee Sambas” leading 5-4 at the break, the visitors flexed their tactical muscles in the second period to claim an 18-11 aggregate win.
The turning point of the match was the tactical shift employed by the Namibian technical bench. Coached by a staff boasting two FIFA Futsal World Cup winners, Namibia stopped chasing the game and started dictating the tempo.
While Kenya relied on individual brilliance and the roar of the Kasarani crowd, Namibia utilized:
They forced Kenyan errors deep in their own half during the second period.
Namibia converted nearly every clear-cut chance in the final ten minutes.
As the Kenyan players tired, the visitors’ fitness allowed them to net seven goals in a dominant second-half display.
The result highlights the growing investment in Futsal across the COSAFA region (Southern Africa) compared to East Africa. Namibia’s progress to the next round, where they will face Libya, is a testament to their long-term preparation and the hiring of elite coaching talent.
For Kenya, this is a “back to the drawing board” moment. The first-half lead showed that the talent exists in Nairobi, but the second-half collapse proved that tactical discipline and game management remain the missing pieces of the puzzle.
