8 March 2026 – In the golden glow of celebration following their historic triumph at the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship, the Brave Gladiators stood not only as champions of Southern Africa but as living proof of what sustained belief, investment, and opportunity can achieve.
For many of the players draped in the Namibian flag on 1 March 2026 this victory was years in the making. It began on dusty community fields, in small towns and villages across the country, where little girls first dared to chase a ball.
How it all started
Through the NFA Gals & Goals programme, sponsored by UNICEF Namibia, football became more than a game it became access, protection, safe spaces and a possibility to dream bigger.
Across Namibia, the Galz & Goals festival grassroots initiatives were rolled out to create safe spaces for girls as young as seven years old to play and use football to promote healthy lifestyles, HIV/AIDS awareness, and gender equality, encouraging girls to make informed life choices.
The programme did more than organise leagues. It dismantled barriers. It gave young girls structured competition, mentorship, and visibility. It encouraged parents to support their daughters’ ambitions. It built confidence in communities where opportunities for girls in sport were limited.
Over 6,000 girls participated in the program, which has helped reduce teenage pregnancy rates in some areas. Many of today’s Gladiators were once those young girls tying on boots before a Gals & Goals match unaware that they were laying the foundation for history.
In 2010, with the support of UNICEF Namibia, the NFA Galz & Goals program selected a National U15 team that participated in the Hessequa Cup in Cape Town. The team won the U15 category as part of the build-up activities to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. UNICEF Namibia’s partnership with the NFA provided young players such as Lovisa Mulunga, Emma Naris, Memory Ngonda and many others the invaluable opportunity to compete internationally at an early age, helping to lay a strong foundation for the future of women’s football in Namibia.
The U14 team was selected with the support of the Directorate of Sport through SCORE Namibia. This marked the first international competition exposure for Lovisa Mulunga, who captained the young team at just 12 years old. She led the girls to one of the world’s most popular youth football tournaments, the Norway Cup.
At the time, Jacqui Shipanga, now the Technical Director (TD) of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), was serving as the National Manager of SCORE Namibia. She played a key role in introducing the girls’ team entry to the tournament organizers.
The initiative received strong support from Ms. Johanna Manuel, now Director of Sport, who was then serving as Director of Women. Many stakeholders rallied behind this groundbreaking opportunity for girls’ football development. Jacqui Gertze was appointed as Head Coach to lead the team, with Raymond Vries serving as Team Manager.
The Bridge to Greatness
As those girls grew, so did their game. Their talent needed structure, competition, and sustainability. That next step was made possible through the Skorpion Zinc Mine who sponsored the women’s league for two years before banking giants ,First National Bank (FNB) Namibia took over in 2023 up to date.
With FNB’s backing, the league has became more than a domestic competition. It is a proving ground,the FNB Women Super League has strengthened standards, increased visibility for female players, and created a clear pathway to the national team. Week after week, players are sharpening their skills, building resilience, and learning to compete under pressure, experiences that would ultimately prepare them for regional glory.
A Captain’s Emotional Tribute
After lifting the COSAFA trophy,Lovisa Mulunga, the Brave Gladiators captain paused amid the celebrations.
“When we celebrate today, we are celebrating a journey that started when we were just kids she said.
“Some of us were seven years old in the Gals & Goals programme. We didn’t just learn how to pass a ball we learned that we mattered. UNICEF Namibia gave us spaces where we felt safe, valued, and powerful. They helped our families see that football was not a distraction that it was an opportunity.”
She continued:
“And when we grew older,FIFA and Skorpion Zinc Namibia came on board with a structured league and in 2023 the FNB WSL was birthed. The FNB Women Super League gives us a stage. FNB Namibia didn’t just sponsor a league they invested in our future. They helped create a system where our talent could grow instead of disappear.”
“This trophy is proof that when you believe in girls consistently — from grassroots to elite level — you don’t just develop players. You develop champions.”
Definitely more than a title
The COSAFA victory is historic. But its deeper significance lies in what it represents: a generation of girls who were given access, nurtured through structured competition, and empowered to defy expectations.
It represents girls who refused to be sidelined.
It represents institutions that chose to invest.
From grassroots fields supported by UNICEF Namibia to the competitive stadiums of the FNB Women Super League, the Brave Gladiators’ journey is a powerful reminder that sustainable success in women’s sport does not happen overnight. It is built patiently, intentionally, and collectively.
