“What a draw!”, remarked Brave Warriors interim head coach Bobby Samaria after learning that his charges, Sadio Mane’s Senegal, Congo and Togo, in Group H for a place at the 2022 Fifa World Cup, will once again be the underdog in the group as they fight for a place in the global show-piece.
Samaria said it was not mission improbable and that largely amateur Namibia, despite its known troubles, has chance to show the world that they are no pushovers.
“This draw presents Namibia with yet another opportunity to show how far we have grown. It is a challenge that we need to embrace with no pressure,” Samaria told the NFA website after Tuesday night’s draw held in Egypt.
Being the little guy in the group is no indication that World Cup qualification is inconceivable.
“What a draw! We are without an iota of doubt the underdog in this group. All the teams are better ranked then us and have seasoned professionals in their midst,” Samaria noted.
The Brave Warriors chances of reaching a first ever World Cup depends on their self-belief which has helped them reach back-to-back African Nations Championship finals and a third African Cup of Nations appearance last year.
“Namibia being a country of the brave, I believe that the players and coaching staff alike will be highly motivated to face the big guns. Imagine facing Sadio Mane, the reigning African Player and the likes, it will be self-motivating,” said Samaria, whose future in the job will be decided by the new Namibia Football Association leadership to be elected on 22 February.
The second round of Qatar 2022 qualifiers for African nations kicks off in March 2020 and conclude in October 2021.
In Round 3, which is scheduled for November 2021, the 10 group winners from Round 2 will be paired up for knockout matches, with the five winners securing a World Cup berth.
The 2022 Fifa World Cup will be played in Qatar between 21 November and 18 December 2022.
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