Warriors must win: Kaanjuka

By: SHEEFENI NIKODEMUS

LOSING to Rwanda is not an option, Brave Warriors coach Bernard Kaanjuka said yesterday.

Namibia host Rwanda in a friendly international at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Kaanjuka said defeating the visitors was the only objective. He added that victory would go some way in helping his side to develop a winning mentality.
“There is only one thing Namibia has to do on Saturday and that’s to win,” Kaanjuka told The Namibian.
“Losing to a team ranked lower than us like Rwanda will cost us a lot of points on the Fifa rankings. Even though it is just a friendly game, it’s one that we must win.”
Rwanda is ranked 35th in Africa and 124 globally while Namibia is at 32 and 108 positions respectively.
‘The Wasps’ have lost two of their last three games – going down 2-0 to Nigeria, 3-0 to Algeria away and being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Benin.
Kaanjuka said he had enough ammunition with which to confine Rwanda to another defeat, despite seeing his side’s forward line trimmed by an injury to Henrico Botes and the unavailability of Thailand-based Tangeni Shipahu and Lazarus Kaimbi.
Tigers winger-cum-forward Pineas Jacob has been roped in to fill the void.
“This is a chance for the other guys. They have to grab the chance with both hands. All of them have played for the national team before. They should play to make an impression to be considered in future games,” Kaanjuka said.
Yesterday’s planned friendly against Botswana in Gaborone was called off due to financial constraints facing the Botswana Football  Federation.
With Botswana out of the way, head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojovic’s Rwanda will head into tomorrow’s match relatively fresh.
The match starts at 18h00 and the entrance fee is N$40 per person.
The match will be preceded by the CAF U/17 Championship qualifier fist leg between Namibia and Burkina Faso at 15h00.

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