Players fight for places

THE Brave Warriors coach, Ben Bamfuchile, and his technical staff will have their hands full as players will be scrambling for places in the national side ahead of the African Nations Cup in Ghana next year.

Bamfuchile named a training group of 29 players this week for an international friendly clash against Morocco on October 17. Bamfuchile is looking for a total of 40 players as part of his training squad ahead of the Nations Cup.Only 22 players will be eligible for the trip to to Ghana.But before the final selection is made in mid-January next year, the fight for players especially among the local-based players will be hotting up.With the league now in its second week, many players have not yet shown their potential and according to Bamfuchile, players will be given an opportunity from now until early next year to prove if they are national team material.At this stage, the coach has included 15 locally based players in his current training squad, with the rest playing abroad.Bamfuchile and his assistants have opted for a training group which consists of young players who are mostly below the age of 25.The youngest member of the training group is African Stars goalkeeper Maxmillian Mbaeva, who is only 18, while the oldest is South African-based Robert Nauseb, who is 34.But age will not matter when the players fight for places in the side, starting from this weekend’s matches.A player like Razundara Tjikuzu stands between being left out or being included in the side, provided that he apologises to the coach and his technical staff, while others senior players such as Mohammed Ouseb, Congo Hindjou, Lolo Goraseb and George Hummel will try to work their way into the side.Tjikuzu, who will be 30 in December, needs to write a letter of apology to Bamfuchile and his staff for jumping camp in an earlier match, but his apology will not guarantee him a place in the side, although Bamfuchile views him as a key player for the side.At the moment, Tjikuzu is reported to have been transferred to Ýstanbul Bueyuekþehir Belediyespor in Turkey, after previously playing for Çaykur Rizespor, also in the same country.The Namibian Sport could not trace him at his club to find out if he will apologise or not.Tjikuzu, who made a fortune from football, previously played for Werder Bremen, Hansa Rostock and MSV Duisburg, all in the German Bundesliga.Ouseb is reported to be back at Moroka Swallows in South Africa and has been training with the team.His performance at that level will determine his re-entry to the national side after he last played for the team in 2002.Ouseb will form the backbone of the Namibian defence and his abilities can be well complemented by the presence of others such as Michael Pienaar, Mali Ngarizemo and Hartman Toromba.Hindjou, who has now joined African Stars, was formerly highly rated in the country for his creativity in midfield, but his form has deteriorated due to injuries.He failed to start for his team last weekend because of injury, but is capable of making a comeback provided he finds his old touch.Black Africa’s captain Goraseb was one of the busiest men for his team during their 2-1 downfall to Orlando Pirates last weekend and his ball-controlling skills and experience can land him a place in the side.The midfield maestro has been written off and was never given a chance by the Bamfuchile regime, but he will have a chance to prove himself despite the abundance of midfielders in the country.For Hummel, it will take a lot of courage for the coach re-consider him for the team after he retired from it early this year.With many defenders fighting for places at the moment, Hummel might not find his way back into the side.The Namibian striking department will prove a headache for the coaches, despite the presence of the main hit man in Henrico Botes.Botes will need a solid partner upfront for the Nations Cup and the coaching staff still has to find that perfect partner for him.Sidney Plaatjies is generally a left midfielder at Jomo Cosmos in South Africa, but is used as a striker by Namibia, a position in which he has not stamped his authority.Namibia has at least three international friendlies lined up for this year and players will have a chance to make use of those matches to either carve themselves permanent places, or be considered for selection.Bamfuchile is looking for a total of 40 players as part of his training squad ahead of the Nations Cup.Only 22 players will be eligible for the trip to to Ghana.But before the final selection is made in mid-January next year, the fight for players especially among the local-based players will be hotting up.With the league now in its second week, many players have not yet shown their potential and according to Bamfuchile, players will be given an opportunity from now until early next year to prove if they are national team material.At this stage, the coach has included 15 locally based players in his current training squad, with the rest playing abroad.Bamfuchile and his assistants have opted for a training group which consists of young players who are mostly below the age of 25.The youngest member of the training group is African Stars goalkeeper Maxmillian Mbaeva, who is only 18, while the oldest is South African-based Robert Nauseb, who is 34.But age will not matter when the players fight for places in the side, starting from this weekend’s matches.A player like Razundara Tjikuzu stands between being left out or being included in the side, provided that he apologises to the coach and his technical staff, while others senior players such as Mohammed Ouseb, Congo Hindjou, Lolo Goraseb and George Hummel will try to work their way into the side.Tjikuzu, who will be 30 in December, needs to write a letter of apology to Bamfuchile and his staff for jumping camp in an earlier match, but his apology will not guarantee him a place in the side, although Bamfuchile views him as a key player for the side.At the moment, Tjikuzu is reported to have been transferred to Ýstanbul Bueyuekþehir Belediyespor in Turkey, after previously playing for Çaykur Rizespor, also in the same country.The Namibian Sport could not trace him at his club to find out if he will apologise or not.Tjikuzu, who made a fortune from football, previously played for Werder Bremen, Hansa Rostock and MSV Duisburg, all in the German Bundesliga.Ouseb is reported to be back at Moroka Swallows in South Africa and has been training with the team.His performance at that level will determine his re-entry to the national side after he last played for the team in 2002.Ouseb will form the backbone of the Namibian defence and his abilities can be well complemented by the presence of others such as Michael Pienaar, Mali Ngarizemo and Hartman Toromba.Hindjou, who has now joined African Stars, was formerly highly rated in the country for his creativity in midfield, but his form has deteriorated due to injuries.He failed to start for his team last weekend because of injury, but is capable of making a comeback provided he finds his old touch.Black Africa’s captain Goraseb was one of the busiest men for his team during their 2-1 downfall to Orlando Pirates last weekend and his ball-controlling skills and experience can land him a place in the side.The midfield maestro has been written off and was never given a chance by the Bamfuchile regime, but he will have a chance to prove himself despite the abundance of midfielders in the country.For Hummel, it will take a lot of courage for the coach re-consider him for the team after he retired from it early this year.With many defenders fighting for places at the moment, Hummel might not find his way back into the side.The Namibian striking department will prove a headache for the coaches, despite the presence of the main hit man in Henrico Botes.Botes will need a solid partner upfront for the Nations Cup and the coaching staff still has to find that perfect partner for him.Sidney Plaatjies is generally a left midfielder at Jomo Cosmos in South Africa, but is used as a striker by Namibia, a position in which he has not stamped his authority.Namibia has at least three international friendlies lined up for this year and players will have a chance to make use of those matches to either carve themselves permanent places, or be considered for selection.