UNAM all-female soccer team first to register for world tournament in Brazil
By Natasha Jacha
The first five-a-side soccer team that registered for the Neymar Jr Fives tournament in Brazil later this year, is an all-female team from the University of Namibia. The team plays under the banner Dream Sevens.
UNAM students had to register their teams last week for the first Namibian activation tournament that took place at the University of Namibia main campus and medical campus.
“As the captain of my team and a soccer player myself, we are determined to win Neymar Jr’s Fives. We will try our best to represent Namibia at the finals in Brazil once we have been crowned national champions,” said Julia Nekwaya.
From the sponsor’s side, Hayley Allen of Bank Windhoek said “Congratulations to Dream Seven for being the first female side to register for this tournament. We are pleased to see the excitement and the diversity and encourage more teams to participate in this exciting competition.”
The second round of activation is scheduled for this week at the main campus of the University of Science and Technology.
Qualifying rounds will be played in Swakopmund, Oshakati and Windhoek during the first half of June. The finals will be played on Saturday, 30 June, in Windhoek. The national champions will then go to Brazil where they will compete in the world final on 21 July 2018 at the Instituto Projeto Neymar JR in Praia Grande.
“The tournament Neymar Jr Fives is the Brazilian soccer star’s signature five-a-side soccer contest which brings together soccer enthusiasts between the ages of 16 to 25 from all over the world irrespective of gender,” said Allen.
