THE Brave Warriors landed in Bamako, Mali on Tuesday for their 2021 Afcon Qualifier against the hosts on Friday.
After eight hours of flying that included two refuelling stops in Luanda and Accra, the Brave Warriors finally landed in Bamako at 16h00 local time and 18h00 Namibian time, on their charter flight from Westair aviation, and checked into their hotel to settle in and acclimatise ahead of the clash.
Coach Bobby Samaria was in an upbeat mood ahead of the match.
“We need to apply ourselves correctly in the moments of play. We believe in ourselves and we come here to make sure we don’t lose the match. The players will give it their all,” he said.
Samaria said that the arrival of Ryan Nyambe from Blackburn Rovers in England and Deon Hotto from Orlando Pirates in South Africa had boosted his team as they bring a different dimension.
“Deon had a stellar game on Sunday against Chiefs and got the man of the match award and his confidence will come in handy. We all know what he can do. Ryan plays at a different and higher level, he’s strong and speedy and given the game we expect, these players fit the bill,”he said.
The match on Friday kicks off 19h00 local time and 21h00 Namibian time.
The Nambia Football Association (NFA) has meanwhile monitored the disinfection of the Sam Nujoma Stadium ahead of the return leg against Mali next Tuesday, 17 November.
The mandatory fumigation of the venue is to ensure that Zones 1 and 2 for the match are disinfected of Covid-19 as per CAF regulations for the upcoming matches.
NFA/CAF safety and security officer Tovey Hoebeb monitored and guided the disinfection that was carried out by African Personnel Services.
“It was important that we observe and implement all protocols to ensure the successful hosting of the match on 17 November. There’s a lot that goes into it and I implore all stakeholders to take their roles seriously. We all know why this needs to be done, so let’s keep it real,” he said. The match on 17 November will start at 19h00, with coverage on NBC TV as the rights holder, while no spectators or additional media will be allowed in the stadium. – nfa.org.na
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