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Namibia Coach Names New-Look Squad
Recently-appointed coach of the Namibian senior national team, Arie
Schans, has named a new look squad that will square up against Malawi
in an International friendly match on March 26.
Schans, who took over as Brave Warriors boss in December 2007, retained
only seven players from the team that found itself roundly thrashed in
Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations of 2008.
The seven are: goalkeeper Athiel Mbaha; defenders Michael Pienaar, Franklin
April and Gottlieb Nakuta; midfielders Brian Brendell and Jamu Ngatjizeko;
and finally striker Muna Katupose.
The Dutch-born coach also extended debut call-ups to 13 players, and 3
players were handed a recall to the team after being left out of the Nation's
Cup train.
National U-20 goalkeeper Max Mbaeva was handed an inaugural call-up after
impressing against South Africa U-20 side on March 8.
Defenders Andrew Tjahikika, Dennis Ngueza and Steve Goaxeb where also
handed their first invitation to feature for the seniorn ational team.
In the midfield, Bradley Werman, Marco van Wyk, Da Costa Angula, Percy
Khairabeb, Tobias Mekondjo and Erastus Mpasi could also be making their
debut for the team.
The manager is expected to use the friendly game against Malawi to prepare
his team ahead of a very tight and busy World Cup qualifying schedule.
The Brave Warriors are scheduled to travel to Harare on May 4th to tackle
Zimbabwe in the first leg of the newly initialized African Nations Championship
(CHAN) competition, with the return leg billed to take place in Windhoek
a fortnight later.
If the Brave Warriors win the game against Zimbabwe, they will face the
winner of the other qualifier between South Africa and Mauritius in the
second qualifying round.
The team will also kick off its Nations Cup and World Cup qualifying campaign
with a Group 2 home game against the Harambee Stars of Kenya on May 31.
They will then face the Zimbabwean team a week later in Harare in another
World Cup qualifying game.
The team is billed to play Guinea at home on June 13 then away on June
20.
Their final World Cup preliminary group games are against Kenya in Nairobi
on September 5, and finally against Zimbabwe in Windhoek on October 10.
Only the top team in the group advances to the next round of the qualifying
phase for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Nations Cup in Angola.
Awenlimobor Sylvester
Goal.com,
21/03/2008
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