The Sunday Mail
RICARDO MANNETTI says Namibia’s Brave Warriors must not feel intimidated by Zimbabwe’s Warriors when they clash at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek.
The coach urged his chargers to put their best foot forward when they host the Southern African champions in a 2018 African Nations Championships (Chan) soocer second-round first-leg qualifier if they are to stand a chance at upsetting the odds and progressing to the final round of qualification.
“We know we are the underdogs in this match. We expect to face a very strong Zimbabwean team. That much is guaranteed. We need to put in extra effort. The only way we can overcome Zimbabwe is if the players die on the pitch,” Mannetti said.
“We cannot go into that game holding back. It won’t make sense to use that approach because we don’t know what will happen in the second leg in Harare.”
Namibia improved their chances of causing an upset with the announcement that forwards Hendrick Somaeb and Roger Katjiteo, as well as midfielders Petrus Shitembi and Absalom Limbondi, who all played abroad last season, have been cleared to play.
“These players boost the team immensely and complement the others as well,” the under-pressure coach said.
The Brave Warriors have come in for a lot of flak for their recent mediocre performances, with Mannetti’s critics claiming that the 2015 Cosafa Cup-winning coach is past his sell-by date.
They also accuse the 40-year-old of using the lack of competitive football in the country to mask his shortcomings.
He believes that some of the criticism is unsubstantiated and heaps unwarranted pressure on a team already punching above its weight.
“The fact is, there is no football in the country, which makes it difficult for the players to play to a high level for 90 minutes. We will be fielding a non-league side against a team which has players who play on a regular basis at home and in the (Caf) Champions League,” Mannetti stressed.
“People must be fair when making comparisons, and not just for the sake of debating. We have a much smaller pool of players to choose from than Zimbabwe, Zambia or South Africa, who are regional powerhouses. For instance, Zimbabwe have three strong national teams, we have one.” — Namibian
