Skill gives Warriors edge

GREAT individual skill by Namibia’s Brave Warriors was clearly an attributing factor to their 4-0 victory over DRC, while solid combinations and a huge sense of confidence carried them through nicely in their match at the weekend.

Their defensive organisation, the fluent and rather effective passes from the midfielders and the hard-running forwards who repeatedly searched for goals added to the win in a major way.But the aspect that stood out was the individual brilliance of the players who took it upon themselves to make their presence felt and at the same time worked for one-another.It was a dream victory for coach Tom Saintfiet, whose much-criticised defensive approach worked well. The players accurately executed heaps of counter-attacks which came their way, while they also defended in unison. The quick ball distribution by goalkeeper Athiel Mbaha to the defensive four and the swift passes from industrious midfielders, especially Quinton Jacobs and Ninja Karongee, made matters easier for the forwards to counter the attack of the opposition.BOTES THE DECOY Hard-working striker Henrico Botes used his figure and experience to draw in the DRC central defensive pair, leaving room for Paulus Shipanga and Eslin Kamuhanga to charge from the wings.Botes was unlucky to hit the net on at least four occasions, but he did a good job by serving as a decoy.Bester played a somewhat free role and kept on switching ends, which confused the DRC defenders and in the process also registered his name on the score-sheet. The Namibian defence was rock solid with especially George Hummel and Richard Gariseb showing their years of experience by intercepting crucial ball.Hartman Toromba as the right back and Nelson Geingob on the left showed urgency, as they were always first on the ball.There seem not to be any complacency in the defence, compared to previous games, while the level of concentration was exceptional throughout the match.Mbaha made several classic saves that were in most cases not threatening, but his communication with his backline was the most useful factor.TRICKY FORWARDSBester, Kamuhanga and second half substitutes Rudi Louw and Heini Isaacks dished out some trickery onto their opponents, but their interplay stood out as it contributed to the three goals in the second half.Bester, who collected the journalists Man of the Match accolade, left the DRC defenders breathless on several occasions with his darting runs, dribbling skills and unpredictability.Louw and Isaacks made immediate impact after they were introduced late in the second half.Isaacks scored two outstanding goals, while Louw provided for some exciting ball controlling skills and precise passing.Kamuhanga had a field day on the left flank as he flung in crosses in search for Botes and Bester. Kamuhanga’s performance was visible, considering his height and weight against the more stable Congolese defence.The difference between the two sides was that Namibia played a quick expansive game on the flanks, while the Congolese tried to penetrate the Namibian defence by building-up through short-passes which yielded little in the end. Namibia could have scored more goals if their four clear chances in the first half could have been on target.The Namibian team played with a purpose and their commitment was evident from their oozing confidence.They kept their heads low as they played according to instructions, but at times used initiative which can be as a result of their individual talents.The 4-0 result was a great victory for the team which earlier in the week was rocked by late withdrawals from some key foreign-based internationals.The side was well balanced, with the starting eleven having six foreign-based internationals and four locals. [email protected]