NAMIBIA’S inability to score goals strongly came to the fore at the weekend as both the senior and junior national football sides fired blanks in their respective matches in Windhoek.
The Brave Warriors managed a narrow 1-0 win over Ethiopia in their African Nations Cup qualifier on Saturday, while the under-23 national side was bundled out of the 2008 Olympic Games qualifiers by South Africa after losing 2-1 on aggregate. The junior side drew their match 1-1 on Sunday, but their 1-0 loss against South Africa over a fortnight ago put them out of contention.The senior team, which could have led at least 3-0 in the first half, saw its main target men shooting past the goalposts, with the main culprit being left winger Sidney Plaatjies, who was off target at least three to four times.Warriors captain Henrico Botes did not show his usual prowess in front of goal and was also responsible for misguiding his shots, with at least one that shaved the upright in the first half.For the juniors, Lazarus Kaimbi was left alone to chase long balls, while Freedom Puriza on the left flank delivered poor crosses that mostly went beyond his players in the box.At least four of his corner kicks were meant for the opposition to clear.It also became evident that the junior team has no clear hitman who can score at will and give defenders a rough time, but the defence was outstanding, despite their lapse in concentration that led to the South African goal.Concentration has proved to be a problem for the Namibian national teams in general, as they struggle to maintain the momentum throughout the match.The Warriors midfielders were generally averse to taking long-range shots, while too much dribbling into the box also did not create much space for the strikers to take shots.Crosses from Heinrich Isaacks and Plaatjies were delivered in time, but the receivers were outnumbered by the opposing defenders.In general, Quinton Jacobs and Collin Benjamin did a great job with their long passes to the forwards, while their short and quick interplay also confused the Ethiopians in most cases.Robert Nauseb, usually aggressive on the ball, was also provided with few chances to take his trademark long-range shots at goal.Nauseb has proven useful behind the strikers, but his tendency of falling back too deep leaves the strikers with no option but to play backwards, instead of pushing forward.The under-23 side had midfielders who were running aimlessly all over the park, compared to the South Africans who were more organised and tried playing the ball on the ground.The juniors lack the basic passing skills and gave a lot of possession away as they mostly played the ball in the air.The defence of the Warriors co-ordinated well and Michael Pienaar stood out with his well-timed interceptions, while Hartman Toromba, Franklin April and Richard Gariseb also kept it tight.Toromba, who usually makes his runs down the right flank, was not that successful, while April lacks the speed of keeping up with the strikers.Goalkeeper Athiel Mbaha had a relatively good match, while substitutions such as Letu Shatimwene, Costa Khaiseb and George Hummel did not have a major impact on the game after they came on in the second half.Overall, the team played well, but not convincing enough, as most of the players showed signs of fatigue midway through the first half.The underlying factor is that fitness will be key, while more international friendly matches for the team will be the best solution to have a team with substance.The Namibians appeared too light and lacked composure at some stages and that is a worrying factor, considering the experience of some of the professionals.For the junior side, Heinrich Isaacks, Letu Shatimwene, Riaan Cloete and Rudi Louw should be the backbone of the side in their future matches.They are invaluable for the team and coach Bobby Samaria should know this by now.Rating for the Warriors: Scale of 0-10 Athiel Mbaha (5), Michael Pienaar (6), Hartman Toromba (5), Richard Gariseb (5), Franklin April (4), Robert Nauseb (4), Collin Benjamin (6), Quinton Jacobs (6), Sidney Plaatjies (5), Heinrich Isaacks (4), Henrico Botes (4) Substitutions: George Hummel (3), Letu Shatimwene (4) and Costa Khaiseb (3)The junior side drew their match 1-1 on Sunday, but their 1-0 loss against South Africa over a fortnight ago put them out of contention.The senior team, which could have led at least 3-0 in the first half, saw its main target men shooting past the goalposts, with the main culprit being left winger Sidney Plaatjies, who was off target at least three to four times.Warriors captain Henrico Botes did not show his usual prowess in front of goal and was also responsible for misguiding his shots, with at least one that shaved the upright in the first half.For the juniors, Lazarus Kaimbi was left alone to chase long balls, while Freedom Puriza on the left flank delivered poor crosses that mostly went beyond his players in the box.At least four of his corner kicks were meant for the opposition to clear.It also became evident that the junior team has no clear hitman who can score at will and give defenders a rough time, but the defence was outstanding, despite their lapse in concentration that led to the South African goal.Concentration has proved to be a problem for the Namibian national teams in general, as they struggle to maintain the momentum throughout the match.The Warriors midfielders were generally averse to taking long-range shots, while too much dribbling into the box also did not create much space for the strikers to take shots.Crosses from Heinrich Isaacks and Plaatjies were delivered in time, but the receivers were outnumbered by the opposing defenders.In general, Quinton Jacobs and Collin Benjamin did a great job with their long passes to the forwards, while their short and quick interplay also confused the Ethiopians in most cases.Robert Nauseb, usually aggressive on the ball, was also provided with few chances to take his trademark long-range shots at goal.Nauseb has proven useful behind the strikers, but his tendency of falling back too deep leaves the strikers with no option but to play backwards, instead of pushing forward.The under-23 side had midfielders who were running aimlessly all over the park, compared to the South Africans who were more organised and tried playing the ball on the ground.The juniors lack the basic passing skills and gave a lot of possession away as they mostly played the ball in the air.The defence of the Warriors co-ordinated well and Michael Pienaar stood out with his well-timed interceptions, while Hartman Toromba, Franklin April and Richard Gariseb also kept it tight.Toromba, who usually makes his runs down the right flank, was not that successful, while April lacks the speed of keeping up with the strikers.Goalkeeper Athiel Mbaha had a relatively good match, while substitutions such as Letu Shatimwene, Costa Khaiseb and George Hummel did not have a major impact on the game after they came on in the second half.Overall, the team played well, but not convincing enough, as most of the players showed signs of fatigue midway through the first half.The underlying factor is that fitness will be key, while more international friendly matches for the team will be the best solution to have a team with substance.The Namibians appeared too light and lacked composure at some stages and that is a worrying factor, considering the experience of some of the professionals.For the junior side, Heinrich Isaacks, Letu Shatimwene, Riaan Cloete and Rudi Louw should be the backbone of the side in their future matches.They are invaluable for the team and coach Bobby Samaria should know this by now.Rating for the Warriors: Scale of 0-10 Athiel Mbaha (5), Michael Pienaar (6), Hartman Toromba (5), Richard Gariseb (5), Franklin April (4), Robert Nauseb (4), Collin Benjamin (6), Quinton Jacobs (6), Sidney Plaatjies (5), Heinrich Isaacks (4), Henrico Botes (4) Substitutions: George Hummel (3), Letu Shatimwene (4) and Costa Khaiseb (3)
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