SPORT - FOOTBALL | 2013-07-23STEPPING UP... Benfica youngsterEdmund Kambanda recieved a call up to the Brave Warriors training squad yesterday.
Photograph by Sheefeni Nikodemus
Mannetti rallies Warriors for Chan
Sheefeni Nikodemus
BRAVE Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti yesterday said he hopes that the lessons learnt from the Cosafa Cup tournament will help the team fare better in their forthcoming Caf African Nations Championships (Chan) campaign.
Namibia are set to face Cosafa nemesis Mozambique over two legs in the Chan competition, starting with the first leg in Maputo on Sunday.
The return leg is scheduled for Windhoek on 3 August. Despite being largely outplayed, Mozambique beat Namibia 1-0 in the Cosafa Cup Plate competition semifinals and subsequently defeated Angola by the same margin to be crowned the first ever Plate winners of the Southern African championship.
“It really opened our eyes as a technical team in what they [Mozambique] have to offer. We watched how they played against Zambia and obviously they played against us,” said Mannetti, who named a 27-man training squad yesterday.
“One thing that I’m certain of is that we will be better prepared when we face them in Maputo and in Windhoek. I’m very positive that we’ll progress,” he said.
“The amount of games we played (in the Cosafa Cup) was very good for me to see who is strong enough to play for the Brave Warriors and who is not,” said Mannetti.
Mannetti is likely to be without five players who formed an integral part of the Cosafa Cup squad as they would be ineligible to feature in the competition, which is exclusive to players who are active in the national championships.
Forwards Pinehas Jacob and Sadney Urikhob have joinaed South African Premiership (PSL) club AmaZulu’s pre-season camp, while midfielders Willy Stephanus and Denzil Haoseb are reportedly close to completing moves to Bloemfontein Celtic.
Defender Freedom Puriza is also eyeing a move to the PSL with Wits University. “Up to now we have not received any confirmation in terms of transfers for these specific players. So during the course of the week all this paper work will be sorted out. By Thursday we will announce the travelling delegation to Maputo,” team manager Cyril Tim Isaacs said.
Five new players have been added to the Cosafa Cup squad, namely African Stars’ goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua and midfielder Edwin Korukuve, Tigers defender Pekka Hamukwaya as well as promising young defenders Peter Steven and Edmund Kambanda from Civics and second division side Benfica respectively.
The Brave Warriors are expected to leave for Maputo on Friday morning.
In the training squad are: Efriam Tjihonge (Unattached), Loydt Kazapua, Maximillian Mbaeva Chris Katjiukua, Freedom Puriza, Denis Tjetjinda, Edwin Korukuve, Bradley Wermann, Riaan Cloete, Deon Hotto (all African Stars) Larry Horaeb, Emilio Martin (Ramblers), Da Costa Angula, Denzil Haoseb, Willy Stephanus, Jerome Louis, Roger Katjiteo (Black Africa),
Edmund Kambanda (Benfica), Tuhafeni Pekka Hamukwaya, Pinehas Jakob, Benson Shilongo, Ananias Gebhardt (Tigers), Peter Steven, Sadney Urikhob (Civics), Neville Tjiueza (Tura Magic), Marvin Areseb (Orlando Pirates) and Harold Ochurub (Mighty Gunners).
The return leg is scheduled for Windhoek on 3 August. Despite being largely outplayed, Mozambique beat Namibia 1-0 in the Cosafa Cup Plate competition semifinals and subsequently defeated Angola by the same margin to be crowned the first ever Plate winners of the Southern African championship.
“It really opened our eyes as a technical team in what they [Mozambique] have to offer. We watched how they played against Zambia and obviously they played against us,” said Mannetti, who named a 27-man training squad yesterday.
“One thing that I’m certain of is that we will be better prepared when we face them in Maputo and in Windhoek. I’m very positive that we’ll progress,” he said.
“The amount of games we played (in the Cosafa Cup) was very good for me to see who is strong enough to play for the Brave Warriors and who is not,” said Mannetti.
Mannetti is likely to be without five players who formed an integral part of the Cosafa Cup squad as they would be ineligible to feature in the competition, which is exclusive to players who are active in the national championships.
Forwards Pinehas Jacob and Sadney Urikhob have joinaed South African Premiership (PSL) club AmaZulu’s pre-season camp, while midfielders Willy Stephanus and Denzil Haoseb are reportedly close to completing moves to Bloemfontein Celtic.
Defender Freedom Puriza is also eyeing a move to the PSL with Wits University. “Up to now we have not received any confirmation in terms of transfers for these specific players. So during the course of the week all this paper work will be sorted out. By Thursday we will announce the travelling delegation to Maputo,” team manager Cyril Tim Isaacs said.
Five new players have been added to the Cosafa Cup squad, namely African Stars’ goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua and midfielder Edwin Korukuve, Tigers defender Pekka Hamukwaya as well as promising young defenders Peter Steven and Edmund Kambanda from Civics and second division side Benfica respectively.
The Brave Warriors are expected to leave for Maputo on Friday morning.
In the training squad are: Efriam Tjihonge (Unattached), Loydt Kazapua, Maximillian Mbaeva Chris Katjiukua, Freedom Puriza, Denis Tjetjinda, Edwin Korukuve, Bradley Wermann, Riaan Cloete, Deon Hotto (all African Stars) Larry Horaeb, Emilio Martin (Ramblers), Da Costa Angula, Denzil Haoseb, Willy Stephanus, Jerome Louis, Roger Katjiteo (Black Africa),
Edmund Kambanda (Benfica), Tuhafeni Pekka Hamukwaya, Pinehas Jakob, Benson Shilongo, Ananias Gebhardt (Tigers), Peter Steven, Sadney Urikhob (Civics), Neville Tjiueza (Tura Magic), Marvin Areseb (Orlando Pirates) and Harold Ochurub (Mighty Gunners).
