Warriors braced for Zimbabwe backlash

THE Brave Warriors are undaunted by what is likely to be a highly charged affair when they face Zimbabwe in the decisive 2018 African Nations Championships (Chan) second round qualification return leg clash in Harare on Sunday.

Namibia hold a 1-0 aggregate advantage from the first leg in Windhoek five days ago. The ‘shock’ result has given the troubled Brave Warriors confidence that they can knock out the highly fancied Zimbabwean Warriors whose recent Cosafa Cup triumph euphoria has dissipated.

“I expect an onslaught from Zimbabwe. I don’t expect them to change from their approach in Windhoek. We are not going there to defend the 1-0,” Brave Warriors head coach Ricardo Mannetti told The Namibian Sport on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe are out for revenge and will be smarting from the unexpected defeat to a team that has seen very little competitive action for over a year due to a long running feud of the country’s top brass.

“If they come out all attack, then they will have to worry about Namibian speed on the counter. So for that reason I don’t think it’ll be an attack versus defence scenario for 90 minutes. For us, the match must be approached in a calm and calculated,” said Mannetti, who will retain the same team from the first leg.

The victory at the Sam Nujoma Stadium reduced a number of his long-sufffering charges to tears, added the 42 year-old coach who has become the scapegoat of frustrated fans who still expect the Brave Warriors to perform on par with their rivals despite the situation in the country.

“I saw some players in tears after the game. You could see what it means for them after what they’ve been through. So it was a very emotional match for the fans and players. That win and the support they got from the fans has given the players tremendous confidence and hope going forward,” Mannetti said.

“Whether we win or lose in Zimbabwe, me or the players will not feel under pressure. It was already a tough ask because of having no active league for so long. We are already performing above ourselves,” he stressed.

Namibia are bidding for a first appearance at the Chan tournament, which will be staged in Kenya next year.

The winner of Sunday’s clash will proceed to the final round of qualification against either the Comoros Islands or Lesotho.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.