Namibia thrashed by Russia ahead of crucial AFCON 2027 qualifier against Cameroon

By Angu Lesley

Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon

Namibia’s preparations for the next stage of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers suffered a major setback on Saturday as the Brave Warriors were thrashed 6-0 by Russia in an international friendly in Yekaterinburg.

The Brave Warriors stayed in the game during the opening 45 minutes, going into the break just one goal behind after Lechi Sadulaev put Russia ahead in the 37th minute. But the second half turned into a nightmare for Namibia, with Danil Prutsev, Konstantin Tyukavin, Maxim Glushenkov and Maxim Petrov all getting on the scoresheet before a late own goal completed the rout.  

The result comes only days after Namibia opened their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Congo, before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Comoros. They therefore remain on three points from their opening two matches in Group G.  

For Cameroon, Namibia’s heavy defeat will be noted, particularly because the Brave Warriors are the Indomitable Lions’ next opponents in the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign. Cameroon currently lead Group G with four points after beating Comoros 3-1 in Garoua and drawing 1-1 with Congo in Brazzaville.  

The two sides will meet twice in November. Cameroon will host Namibia on Wednesday, November 11, before the Brave Warriors welcome the Indomitable Lions four days later on Sunday, November 15. The fixtures are Matchdays 3 and 4 of the group campaign.  

That double-header could have a major impact on the qualification race. Cameroon currently have four points, while Namibia and Comoros have three each and Congo have one. With the top two teams advancing from the group, both Cameroon and Namibia will see the November meetings as an opportunity to strengthen their position.  

For Namibia coach Collin Benjamin, the priority now will be to ensure Saturday’s 6-0 defeat does not affect his team’s confidence. The Brave Warriors have shown already that they can win in this group, but their next assignment is against a Cameroon side that has yet to lose. November will provide a much clearer indication of whether Namibia can seriously challenge for one of the two qualification places.