Young footballers from Walvis Bay are utilising sport as a powerful vehicle to change lives, foster discipline, and keep young people away from substance abuse.
The CODAC Sports Academy recently returned from Cape Town, South Africa, where the team participated in a series of friendly matches and leadership activities. The international trip forms part of the Coastal Drugs Awareness Campaign (CODAC), which was established in 2016 to shield young people from substance abuse, crime, and other social challenges through sport and targeted mentorship programmes. Based in Walvis Bay, the academy focuses on holistic youth development, blending football training with leadership, teamwork, and social awareness for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The initiative has drawn praise for its ability to broaden the horizons of underprivileged youth. Volunteer Joan Smith highlighted how these experiences expose players to opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings while molding them into disciplined role models. "It's an excellent initiative. This is exactly what we need. These 17 boys—you can see how well-disciplined they are. They are coming from very ordinary communities, but they are now the role models of tomorrow. They went out of the country to Cape Town to play football, but it wasn't only football; it was football, education, and drug awareness. They turned out so beautifully," Smith expressed.
On the pitch, the young athletes faced formidable opposition and unfamiliar environments. Head Coach Luther Humphries noted that despite difficult playing conditions, the players showed immense determination and unity. Humphries also used the platform to urge corporate stakeholders to invest in such programmes to create more avenues for youth development. "We played on Wednesday, our first game, at 9 o'clock in the morning, and the pitch was so wet and slippery for our boys. We lost our first game, 1-0, by a last-minute penalty. We played two games straight after that against Ubuntu... we lost 3-1," Humphries explained, emphasizing the growth that came from the challenge.
The players themselves reflected on the tour with deep pride, viewing it as both an athletic test and a rare personal opportunity. Team Captain Stephanus Palyohamba emphasized how the journey solidified the squad's bond. "On behalf of my team, I'd like to say this was a grateful and pleasant opportunity for us. Not all kids have this opportunity to go to Cape Town and do what we did. This is just not a soccer tournament; it was also a dream. It's a dream we chased and achieved," Palyohamba said.
Vice-Captain Asher Egumbo echoed these sentiments, noting that the high level of competition significantly boosted the team's confidence and chemistry. "It was a bit difficult, but we pulled through because we played against top teams. We didn't win, but we got the result we wanted. We played well—we didn't expect to play that well, but we actually dominated the game. This whole experience definitely brought chemistry to the team, and we played way better than we thought we would," Egumbo remarked.
With the international tour concluded, CODAC Sports Academy shifts its focus back to its ongoing work within local schools and communities. Organizers remain committed to using the beautiful game to develop not just skilled football players, but responsible, resilient leaders capable of making a lasting, positive impact on Namibian society.