We achieved our purpose - Benjamin
Gallant as their performances were, a youthful Brave Warriors side exited the Cosafa Cup due to inexperience, but achieved their purpose at the tournament.
LIMBA MUPETAMI
Brave Warriors Cosafa Cup coach Collin Benjamin says they achieved their purpose of giving the boys much-needed exposure and experience.
“We also got positive wins and at the same time the loss against Malawi was a valuable experience. We got to see who is who. There is a whole lot of work that needs to be done. We saw who needs power and who needs work with their reactions,” said Benjamin.
The coach took a youthful squad to the Cosafa Cup in order to prepare the side for the upcoming Chan qualifiers.
He has previously emphasised that their plan was not to win the cup, but rather to offer opportunities and expose players to high-level competition.
Namibia were in Group B with Malawi, Seychelles and Mozambique. They won their first match against Mozambique 2-1, with the opening goal coming from Joslyn Kamatuka in the 69th minute, with Absalom Iimbondi the provider. Iimbondi also scored the second goal and earned the man of the match award.
In their second match the Namibians were defeated by 1-2 by Malawi.
The fiercely contested game saw Namibia take the lead through a well-taken header by defender Charles Hambira in the 16th minute.
Malawi opened their account with a great goal from a tight angle by striker Gabadinho Mhango, three minutes from the break.
Malawi substitute Gerald Phiri Junior got the winner from the penalty spot following the restart, after a foul in the box.
Namibia’s third match saw them thrashing Seychelles 3-0 on Thursday evening. Top goal-scorer in the Namibia Premier League (NPL), Issaskar Gurirab, found the net twice, and the third goal came from Sadney Urikhob. Gurirab’s performance won him the man of the match accolade.
Afcon preparations
With their Cosafa Cup having ended, Brave Warriors head coach Ricardo Mannetti announced a 28-man training squad ahead of Afcon 2019, which will take place in Egypt. The squad will be based in Dubai from today.
Mannetti added the likes of Gurirab, Iimbondi, Hambira, Kamatuka, Loydt Kazapua, Wesley Katjiteo, Marcel Papama, Ivan Kamberipa, Ratanda Mbazuvara, Dynamo Fredericks and Larry Horaeb to the squad.
Namibia will only travel with 23 players from Dubai to Cairo for the Afcon tourney.
The squad is as follows: Ratanda Mbazuvara, Virgil Vries, Loydt Kazapua, Maximilian Mbaeva, Ryan Nyambe, Larry Horaeb, Chris Katjiukua, Teberius Lombard, Denzil Haoseb, Ivan Kamberipa, Charles Hambira, Riaan !Hanamub, Ananias Gebhardt, Absalom Iimbondi, Willy Stephanus, Petrus Shitembi, Ronald Ketjijere, Marcel Papama, Dynamo Fredericks, Manfred Starke, Wesley Katjiteo, Benjamin Nenkavu, Deon Hotto, Itamunua Keimuine, Joslin Kamatuka, Peter Shalulile, Benson Shilongo and Issaskar Gurirab.
Brave Warriors Cosafa Cup coach Collin Benjamin says they achieved their purpose of giving the boys much-needed exposure and experience.
“We also got positive wins and at the same time the loss against Malawi was a valuable experience. We got to see who is who. There is a whole lot of work that needs to be done. We saw who needs power and who needs work with their reactions,” said Benjamin.
The coach took a youthful squad to the Cosafa Cup in order to prepare the side for the upcoming Chan qualifiers.
He has previously emphasised that their plan was not to win the cup, but rather to offer opportunities and expose players to high-level competition.
Namibia were in Group B with Malawi, Seychelles and Mozambique. They won their first match against Mozambique 2-1, with the opening goal coming from Joslyn Kamatuka in the 69th minute, with Absalom Iimbondi the provider. Iimbondi also scored the second goal and earned the man of the match award.
In their second match the Namibians were defeated by 1-2 by Malawi.
The fiercely contested game saw Namibia take the lead through a well-taken header by defender Charles Hambira in the 16th minute.
Malawi opened their account with a great goal from a tight angle by striker Gabadinho Mhango, three minutes from the break.
Malawi substitute Gerald Phiri Junior got the winner from the penalty spot following the restart, after a foul in the box.
Namibia’s third match saw them thrashing Seychelles 3-0 on Thursday evening. Top goal-scorer in the Namibia Premier League (NPL), Issaskar Gurirab, found the net twice, and the third goal came from Sadney Urikhob. Gurirab’s performance won him the man of the match accolade.
Afcon preparations
With their Cosafa Cup having ended, Brave Warriors head coach Ricardo Mannetti announced a 28-man training squad ahead of Afcon 2019, which will take place in Egypt. The squad will be based in Dubai from today.
Mannetti added the likes of Gurirab, Iimbondi, Hambira, Kamatuka, Loydt Kazapua, Wesley Katjiteo, Marcel Papama, Ivan Kamberipa, Ratanda Mbazuvara, Dynamo Fredericks and Larry Horaeb to the squad.
Namibia will only travel with 23 players from Dubai to Cairo for the Afcon tourney.
The squad is as follows: Ratanda Mbazuvara, Virgil Vries, Loydt Kazapua, Maximilian Mbaeva, Ryan Nyambe, Larry Horaeb, Chris Katjiukua, Teberius Lombard, Denzil Haoseb, Ivan Kamberipa, Charles Hambira, Riaan !Hanamub, Ananias Gebhardt, Absalom Iimbondi, Willy Stephanus, Petrus Shitembi, Ronald Ketjijere, Marcel Papama, Dynamo Fredericks, Manfred Starke, Wesley Katjiteo, Benjamin Nenkavu, Deon Hotto, Itamunua Keimuine, Joslin Kamatuka, Peter Shalulile, Benson Shilongo and Issaskar Gurirab.
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