Vries, Angula, Gome back for Brave Warriors

SOUTH African based Virgil Vries, Da Costa Angula and Wangu Gome are all back in the Brave Warriors squad for next weekend’s Afcon qualifier against Niger as well as the Cosafa Cup tournament that starts in a fortnight’s time.

Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti has also recalled Tura Magic defenders Larry Horaeb and Tiberius Lombard, and Black Africa striker Roger Katjiteo after lengthy absences, but regular captain Ronald Ketjijere, defender Willem Mwedihanga and midfielder Petrus Shitembi are all unavailable.

Ketjijere and Mwedihanga will be involved in promotion relegation matches for their South African Premier Soccer League club side Pretoria University, while Shitembi is unavailable due to injury.

At a press conference at Soccer House yesterday, Mannetti said he picked the same squad for the Niger match and the Cosafa Cup tournament so that the team could build momentum going into the Cosafa Cup tournament.

“I’m not choosing separate squads for Niger and the Cosafa Cup because we want to keep the momentum going and focus on the big picture and that is why we are looking at the Niger and Cosafa matches as a whole. The squad that we have selected will also be relevant for the Cosafa Cup, so it makes things a bit easier for me in terms of consistency, ” he said.

Mannetti said he did not select players who were not available for both tournaments.

“I have decided not to select players who will not be available for the Cosafa Cup tournament, for the simple reason that I would then have to put replacements in place for Cosafa. So players like Lazarus Kaimbi and Sadney Urikhob have not been called up for the Niger match because their clubs do not want to release them for the Cosafa Cup tournament, ” he said.

“It doesn’t make sense to me to have one squad against Niger and then a different one for the Cosafa Cup. That will be unfair towards the players who will be there for Cosafa I’d rather throw them in the deep end against Niger, so that we can rectify our problems before we go into the Cosafa Cup tournament. I think it makes sense and we are looking at it as one competition, ” he added.

Exciting striker Peter Shalulile has also not been selected since his club Highlands Park will also be involved in play off matches, but Mannetti said there was a chance that he could still be available.

“Peter is still nursing an ankle injury and he will also be involved in promotional playoffs with his club on 15 June. But we will see if he can be available for us against Botswana on 18 June, ” he said.

Mannetti said he had not changed his selection policy.

“A lot of people have questioned my policy in the past year but its very simple. If a player does not play for his club on a regular basis I will not select him because normally I only have one week to prepare that player. So therefore players like Wangu Gome and Da Costa Angula were not involved in the past. But now we have a good three week preparation period going into the Cosafa Cup so for me it only makes sense to bring them back.

“Da Costa played against Kaizer Chiefs recently and won the Player of the Match award and the same with Wangu he played against Ajax and was brilliant in that match. So this time around I can bring them back into the squad because I have the luxury of time this time, ” he said.

Mannetti added that Free State Stars striker Hendrick Somaeb was a doubtful starter for the Niger match due to injury, while Golden Arrows defender Chris Katjiukua will not play against Niger after picking up two yellow cards.

The 26 man Brave Warriors squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers:

Edward Maova (Civics), David Peterson (Tigers), Max Mbaeva (Golden Arrows), Virgil Vries (Maritzburg United).

Defenders:

Da Costa Angula (Free State Stars), Chris Katjiukua (Golden Arrows) Denzil Hoaseb (Black Africa), Tiberius Lombard (Tura Magic), Romario Ndjavera (Tigers), Ferdinand Karongee (Tigers), Edmund Kambanda (Unam), Riaan Hanamub (Orlando Pirates).

Midfielders:

Oswaldo Xamseb (Tura Magic), Deon Hotto (Golden Arrows), Dynamo Fredericks (Black Africa), Hendrick Somaeb (Free State Stars), Willy Stephanus (Black Africa), Absalom Iimbondi (Tigers), Immanuel Heita (Black Africa).

Strikers:

Terdius Uiseb (Orlando Pirates), Roger Katjiteo (Black Africa), Larry Horaeb (Tura Magic), Ananias Gebhardt (Black Africa), Patience Gaseb (Mighty Gunners), Wangu Gome (Bidvest Wits) and Benson Shilongo (Gaborone United).

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