Brave Warriors face Swaziland today

Namibia's senior national football team, the Brave Warriors, left for Swaziland yesterday afternoon to participate in a friendly match with the hosts in celebration of King Mswati's 50th birthday.

Coach Ricardo Mannetti had called up 27 players on Monday for the training camp, but dropped Immanuel Immanuel and Josef Ngifindwako.

Vernon Klaasen, Kennedy Eib, Absalom Iimbondi and Panduleni Nekundi all withdrew with injuries.

Mannetti said he was confident of getting a good result in Swaziland oday, despite having a lot of new players in the squad and having only one day to train ahead of the encounter.

“We are going there with the aim of winning the match as usual. The new guys will get a chance to show us their capabilities, while we will also get an opportunity to expand our pool of players,” Mannetti told Nampa at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.

The Brave Warriors are expected to return to Namibia on Friday.

The player squad who travelled to Swaziland: Ratanda Mbazuvara, Tjinotjiua-Tja Tjiuana, Ronald Ketjijere (all from African Stars); Edward Maova (Civics); Ferdinand Karongee, Kennedy Amutenya, Rehabeam Mbango, Mapenzi Muwanei, Gustav Isaak (Tigers); Donovan Kanjaa, Himeezembi Hengombe, Elvis Patire, Ikuaterua Hoveka (Young African); Kleophas Useb (Life Fighters); Riaan Hanamub (Orlando Pirates); Charles Hambira, Petrus Shitembi, Itamunua Keimuine (Tura Magic); Marcel Papama (UNAM); Willem Pinehas (Eleven Arrows); Marius Hashipala (Blue Waters).



COSAFA DRAW

The Brave Warriors will face Zambia in the 18th edition of the COSAFA Cup in May and coach Ricardo Mannetti says the repeat of the 2015 and 2016 wins will be what the doctor should prescribe for his team.

The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) yesterday announced the draw for the regional showpiece competition to be staged in South Africa's Limpopo province from May 27 to June 9 and Namibia will take on nemesis Zambia in the quarterfinals

Coach Mannetti confidently called it Déjà vu.

“We played Zambia at the quarter-final stage in 2015 when we went on to win our first Cosafa title and I hope that happens again. We also beat them in 2016 in the plate final at home and we recently met at CHAN finals in Morocco and played to a draw.

“We are sides that know each other very well and seemingly can't get enough of facing each other,” says Mannetti, whose team plays a friendly match at Swaziland today.

The coach adds that he believes his side has had the best of their recent clashes.

“In the last five encounters, we have been the better side and at Cosafa next month that trend should continue. They will be prepared and we will also be ready. The game goes on,” Mannetti stated.

Zimbabwe return as defending champions, having claimed a record fifth COSAFA Cup title in South Africa last year and they will face the winner of group B in the quarter-finals, which contains powerhouse Angola, Botswana, Mauritius and Malawi.

Hosts South Africa will take on the winner of group A, which contains Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros Islands and Seychelles.

The other two quarter-finals will see four-time winners Zambia clash with Namibia while Lesotho take on Swaziland.

South Africa and Zambia have each claimed four titles in the COSAFA Cup competition before, while Angola have three and Namibia celebrated their single success in 2015. – Nampa/NFA.org.na