Windhoek March.20 — The defending champions of the 2025 Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup in football and netball, the Kunene and Kavango East Regions, say they are heading to the//Kharas Region to retain the trophies they won last year.
This year’s Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup will take place from 3 to 6 April 2026 in Keetmanshoop, the//Kharas Region, bringing together under-20 football and netball teams from all 14 regions of Namibia.
Kunene Region football coach Simon Haradoeb said they resumed camp on Friday, 20 March, before participating in the Outjo Football Academy under-20 tournament last weekend, which they won.
Haradoeb said: ‘The victory in the tournament has lifted the spirit of the team. We selected and retained players from the victorious team of last year. We have a 15-year-old striker as the youngest player in our team.’
He added that the aim is to go as far as possible in the tournament, noting that their group is tough, as it comprises Zambezi and Omusati, 2 teams that play long-ball football and are very physical. Haradoeb added they are currently training once a day, during the week, with friendly matches set up for weekends.
Meanwhile, the assistant coach of the Kavango East netball team, Edeltraud ‘Letty’ Mupiri, said they will go to the //Kharas Region for 1 reason: to reclaim what is theirs.
Mupiri said: ‘This is our trophy and we will fiercely defend it. Kavango East is a big netball region, and we are planning on keeping this trophy for good.’
She added: ‘We have a balanced team of experience and youthful exuberance. When we recruited the team, we gave every Kavango East girl child a chance to stake a claim on the team.’
Acting Namibian Football Association General Secretary Mabos Vries said everything was in place for the biggest youth development tournament in Namibia. He added that most regions had finalised their teams and were in camp, busy with preparations.
Netball Namibia President Juanita Witbeen said it’s all systems go, with the federation now busy finalising the player cards for all the participating regions: ‘We are making sure that the regions have selected players under the correct age. Our representatives have assured us that all preparations are progressing well and are ready for the competition.’
Since its inception in 2001, the Nedbank Namibia Newspaper Cup has been widely regarded as the pinnacle of youth sport development in the country. It serves as the primary bridge between grassroots talent and national representation.
Nedbank Namibia Communication and Public Relations, Manager Selma Kaulinge reaffirmed the bank’s continued commitment to investing in youth development through sport: ‘The Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup brings the best talent to 1 location; it provides a rare opportunity for national team selectors and club scouts to identify players who would otherwise remain unnoticed in remote areas. It introduces young athletes to high-pressure, competitive environments, helping them transition from school-level sports to professional standards.’
She added that the hosting model of the cup ensures that development is not just about the athletes but also the environment they play in through facility upgrades. This is through host towns receiving significant government and private investment to upgrade such things as stadiums, install floodlights, and renovate school hostels.
Kaulinge concluded: ‘The Nedbank Newspaper Cup reminds us that sport, like financial fitness, requires discipline, consistency, and long-term planning. Through our #GetMoneyFit campaign, we are proud to support a platform that keeps our youth engaged in positive activities while building their confidence for the future.’
