NAMIBIAN professional footballer Quinton Jacobs says he prefers a local coach for the Brave Warriors instead of a foreigner.
Jacobs, who signed for two seasons with South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Ajax Cape Town about two months ago, said Namibian players have the talent to win matches and do not need a foreigner to teach them how to play. Namibia’s national team, which has not played a competitive match since April this year, currently needs a coach and an assistant to prepare them for the annual Cosafa Castle Cup early next year.Jacobs, who has already impressed his coach Gordon Ingesund in a left midfield role at Ajax, said a local coach would know the football set-up much better and also knows the strong and weak points of players in the country.He did not make any suggestions as to who should be employed as a coach, but said the current premier league coaches are good enough to take that role.”Players in Namibia can do the job on the field.They just need that extra motivation from a coach who knows the game well and who does not use the players out of their usual positions,” he said.He said Namibia was in some cases underperforming as some players are used wrongly and can therefore not perform effectively in their new roles.Jacobs, who constantly ran into trouble with the management of the clubs that he played for, urged the Namibia Football Association (NFA) “to get their house in order”.”The NFA should get serious with football.The players are interested in playing the game, but the authorities keep on fighting against each other and this creates a bad influence on the game in general.A lot of money has been invested in the game and this should be time for the NFA to prove that they can deliver,” he said.Asked whether he would be available for the national team, Jacobs, who played for Ramblers last season, said he will be available “any time”.”If they call me up, I will be available, depending on the willingness of my club.But I am still prepared to serve the national side because I think I can make a difference,” he said.Jacobs, one of the most experienced players with his teammates in midfield such as Lolo Goraseb and Congo Hindjou, hardly tasted any national team football for almost two years now and with his current form at Ajax, Jacobs is likely to make a comeback.Jacobs, who is now 26, matriculated at the Windhoek-based Dawid Bezuidenhout High School, and played tennis during his school days.Jacobs played for the national under-19 football side in 1996 and toured Germany in that year.The left-footed player got his first red card on national level in the same year when he turned out for the under-20s against Botswana in Windhoek.Jacobs also played for Black Africa, Tigers and Ramblers.He is only the second Namibian to play for Ajax after Robert Nauseb, who now turns out for Santos.In his first international move, Jacobs played for Scottish Second Division side Partick Thistle before he moved to MSV Duisburg in Germany.He is to date only the second Namibian to play in the Scottish League after former Namibian prolific striker Eliphas Shivute.He then went to South Africa where he turned out for Black Leopards before he came back to Namibia in 2002 after the club experienced financial difficulties.Namibia’s national team, which has not played a competitive match since April this year, currently needs a coach and an assistant to prepare them for the annual Cosafa Castle Cup early next year.Jacobs, who has already impressed his coach Gordon Ingesund in a left midfield role at Ajax, said a local coach would know the football set-up much better and also knows the strong and weak points of players in the country.He did not make any suggestions as to who should be employed as a coach, but said the current premier league coaches are good enough to take that role.”Players in Namibia can do the job on the field.They just need that extra motivation from a coach who knows the game well and who does not use the players out of their usual positions,” he said.He said Namibia was in some cases underperforming as some players are used wrongly and can therefore not perform effectively in their new roles.Jacobs, who constantly ran into trouble with the management of the clubs that he played for, urged the Namibia Football Association (NFA) “to get their house in order”.”The NFA should get serious with football.The players are interested in playing the game, but the authorities keep on fighting against each other and this creates a bad influence on the game in general.A lot of money has been invested in the game and this should be time for the NFA to prove that they can deliver,” he said.Asked whether he would be available for the national team, Jacobs, who played for Ramblers last season, said he will be available “any time”.”If they call me up, I will be available, depending on the willingness of my club.But I am still prepared to serve the national side because I think I can make a difference,” he said.Jacobs, one of the most experienced players with his teammates in midfield such as Lolo Goraseb and Congo Hindjou, hardly tasted any national team football for almost two years now and with his current form at Ajax, Jacobs is likely to make a comeback.Jacobs, who is now 26, matriculated at the Windhoek-based Dawid Bezuidenhout High School, and played tennis during his school days.Jacobs played for the national under-19 football side in 1996 and toured Germany in that year.The left-footed player got his first red card on national level in the same year when he turned out for the under-20s against Botswana in Windhoek.Jacobs also played for Black Africa, Tigers and Ramblers.He is only the second Namibian to play for Ajax after Robert Nauseb, who now turns out for Santos.In his first international move, Jacobs played for Scottish Second Division side Partick Thistle before he moved to MSV Duisburg in Germany.He is to date only the second Namibian to play in the Scottish League after former Namibian prolific striker Eliphas Shivute.He then went to South Africa where he turned out for Black Leopards before he came back to Namibia in 2002 after the club experienced financial difficulties.
