AFRICAN Stars defender Pat-Nevin Uanivi made the Brave Warriors’ final 20-man squad which left for Madagascar on Wednesday to battle the Indian Ocean island nation in a 2020 CAF African Nations Championship second-round first-leg qualifier on Sunday.
The 32-year-old African Stars stalwart is a favourite of interim head coach Bobby Samaria, and is likely to get his first cap for the Warriors at the Stade Municipal de Mahamasina in Antananarivo.
Uanivi could partner club mate Ivan Kamberipa in central defence, a combination that has worked for Stars under Samaria last season.
Other notable inclusions in the squad named on Tuesday night are recalled strikers Panduleni Nekundi and Mapenzi Muwanei.
Chan team regular Ratanda Mbazuvara of African Stars is the number one goalkeeper, deputised by Unam’s Charles Uirab, while Absalom Iimbondi, Marcel Papama and captain Dynamo Fredericks are expected to start in midfield.
Iimbondi in particular will be expected to replicate his outstanding last international performance, scoring against Eritrea in the 2-0 win at home in the 2020 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
“We have so much talent, and it’s all about finding the right balance and getting a good result,” Samaria said.
The Antananarivo showdown kicks off at 14h30, with the return leg set for Windhoek on 19 October at 16h00. The aggregate winner of this fixture qualifies for the 2020 Chan finals in Cameroon.
The travelling Brave Warriors are Ratanda Mbazuvara, Charles Uirab, Pat-Nevin Uanivi, Ivan Kamberipa, Obrey Amseb, Marcel Papama, Gustav Isaak, Larry Horaeb, Aprocious Petrus, Immanuel Heita, Dynamo Fredericks, Vitapi Ngaruka, Emilio Martin, Wendell Rudath, Llewelyn Stanley, Absalom Iimbondi, Gregory Aukumeb, Panduleni Nekundi, Elmo Kambindu and Mapenzi Muwanei. – Adapted from nfa.org.na
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