Bethuel Muzeu

Bethuel Muzeu
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-02-22) 22 February 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Omaheke Region, Namibia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Black Leopards
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Tura Magic
2022– Black Leopards 48 (19)
International career‡
2022– Namibia 25 (4)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Namibia
COSAFA Cup
Runner-up 2024 South Africa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:45, 19 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:24, 13 November 2024 (UTC)

Bethuel Muzeu (born 2 February 2000), also known as Muzeu Muzeu, is a Namibian footballer who plays for National First Division club Black Leopards and the Namibia national team.

Club career

Muzeu represented his native Omaheke Region in the 2018 Namibian Newspaper Cup.[1] By the 2021 Namibia Premier Football League season, he joined Tura Magic.[2] As a member of Kasaona FA he was the top scorer of the 2022 Ramblers-Bank Windhoek U21 tournament staged at Ramblers Stadium in Windhoek. The team went on to win the inaugural tournament.[3][4]

In July 2022 Muzeu joined Black Leopards F.C. of the South African National First Division after impressing at the 2022 COSAFA Cup. The contract was for one season with an option for an additional season if the club earns promotion to the South African Premier Division.[5] After playing in pre-season matches with the club, head coach Joel Masutha compared Muzeu to fellow-Namibian in South Africa Peter Shalulile.[6]

During the 2023–24 National First Division season, Muzeu finished tied for first in the league scoring race with seventeen goals. He shared the Golden Boot award with Prince Nxumalo of JDR Stars who also scored seventeen.[7] Following the season, Black Leopards began shopping the striker to clubs in higher divisions for a reported transfer fee of R15 million. The club reportedly rejected an offer of R8 million earlier that season.[8]

International career

Muzeu represented Namibia at the youth level in 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualification. He scored in the 1–1 second-leg draw with Botswana. However, Namibia was eliminated on away goals.[9][10] He was named to Bobby Samaria's provisional squad ahead of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Burundi and Kenya.[11] In July 2022 Muzeu was named to Namibia's final roster for the 2022 COSAFA Cup by Collin Benjamin.[12] He made his senior international debut on 12 July 2022 in the team's opening match, leading the offensive corps in a 2–0 victory against Madagascar.[13] In Namibia's next match of the tournament, he scored the match-winning goal against Mozambique to send the nation to its fourth-ever COSAFA Cup final.[14]

In January 2024, Muzeu entered a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against Tunisia as a second-half substitute. He went on to assist on a goal by Deon Hotto which secured a 1–0 victory. The win was Namibia's first-ever in any edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.[15] Later that year, he scored the game-winning goal of a 2–1 2024 COSAFA Cup match against Lesotho.[16]

International goals

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 15 July 2022 Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa  Mozambique 1–0 1–0 2022 COSAFA Cup
2 1 July 2024 Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Gqeberha, South Africa  Lesotho 2–1 2–1 2024 COSAFA Cup
3 3 July 2024  Seychelles 1–0 3–1
4 3–0
Last updated 3 July 2024 [17]

International career statistics

As of match played 19 November 2024[17]
Namibia national team
Year Apps Goals
2022 3 1
2023 6 0
2024 16 3
Total 25 4

References

  1. ^ "Undocumented Warriors". Namibia Football Association. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Who's who in the NPFL…get to know your players - Part 2". New Era Live. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  3. ^ "MORE TOURNAMENTS ESSENTIAL FOR SPORTS AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT – KASAONA". Namibia Economist. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. ^ Schütz, Helge. "Kasaona win Bank Windhoek Ramblers u21 title". The Namibian. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. ^ Kanjere, Peter. "Namibian striker joins PSL side". Far Post. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Leopards' new forward likened to Peter Shalulile". South African Live News. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  7. ^ Mavhungu, Frank. "Bethuel Muzeu shares the Golden Boot award". Limpopo Mirror. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Multi-million-rand worth striker on the window". Kick Off. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Botswana eliminate Young Warriors from Afcon qualifier". SHIPI FM. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Young Warriors Out of AFCON Qualifiers". Namibian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  11. ^ "NAMIBIA COACH NAMES PROVISIONAL SQUAD FOR AFCON QUALIFIERS". Africa Top Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  12. ^ "BENJAMIN NAMES YOUTHFUL BRAVE WARRIORS SQUAD FOR COSAFA CUP". africanfootball.com. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. ^ Msomi, Smiso. "Namibia and Zambia book semi-final spots at the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup". IOL. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Namibia and Zambia to clash in HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup 2022 final". COSAFA. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  15. ^ Mnyandu, Velile. "The Power of the bible as Bethuel Muzeu relives Namibia's historic moment". SABC Sport. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Namibia and Angola snatch important wins". Super Sport. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  17. ^ a b "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 July 2022.