06.06.2011 - Namibia's junior teams invited to Germany to improve their football skills

In the upcoming weeks two Namibian football teams will depart for Germany to showcase their potential whilst attending training camps in Germany’s renowned sport school in Kamen-Kaiserau.

The two selected teams, namely the Junior Men’s National team and the Women’s U20 team were invited by the German Football Association (DFB) and the regional Football and Athletics Association Westphalia (FLVW).  Based on bilateral agreemens both federations are maintaining strong relationships with the Namibian Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture and the Namibia Football Association (NFA).  Together they have launched supportive actions in the past  to further develop Namibia’s football sector, like for instance the Galz & Goals programme which provides young promising Namibian football players with German sponsorships. The invitation extended to the junior teams is part of the programme of the “Deutsches Fußball Projekt Namibia”, organised by the German Olympic Sport Federation (DOSB) in close co-operation with the German Football Association (DFB) and financed by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the NFA the young women’s team will leave Namibia on 18 June 2011. During their stay in Germany they will also have a chance to watch two matches at the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup, between 26 June and 17 July 2011.  Jacqueline Shipanga, the national team’s coach, regards the invitation by the sport school Kamen-Kaiserau as an excellent opportunity for the team to obtain adequate and high-quality training in preparation of the upcoming Zone VI Games in Zambia next year. She also acknowledges the excellent training facilities in Germany which according to her will certainly contribute to the team reaching its goals and becoming competitive football players. Shipanga herself will not attend the training camp due to her appointment as technical study group member at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.  Natasha Cloete as team manager, Klaus Stärk, the NFA technical director and Karl-Heinz Griesshaber, a German technical expert, will accompany the young players. The team will be complemented by NFA Women’s Desk Head, Jackey Gertze, and NFA Secretary-General Barry Rukoro who will also attend the FIFA women’s football symposium in Frankfurt.