By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK
Brave Warriors and Eleven Arrows midfielder Rudolf Bester absconded from the Brave Warriors training camp on Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the team left for Tunisia for an international friendly.
The talented midfielder, who is also the Namibia Football Association (NFA) player of the season, is believed to have travelled to Europe for trials.
In a media statement issued yesterday, the NFA said they are investigating the matter before taking the appropriate steps against the player.
The NFA says that the national team coaches were approached by Eleven Arrows executive member Nana Tjombe and former Brave Warriors and Eleven Arrows striker Eliphas Shivute to withdraw the player from the national camp, as they wanted to send the player to Serbia for trials.
The NFA said the coaches declined on the basis that the national team friendly with Tunisia was on a FIFA approved date.
Tjombe and Shivute then wrote a letter to the NFA at 16h10 to request the release of the player but the NFA declined, giving them the same reasons as provided by the coaches.
The NFA further noted that they were unhappy with the arrangements made to release the player and claim that Tjombe and Shivute kept the process a big secret, yet the association incurred expenses because it had booked a ticket for Bester.
It is not clear how Bester managed to leave the country without his travel documents because his passport is still in the possession of the national team manager.
It is believed that Bester might have sneaked out of camp and arranged for another travelling document.
The Brave Warriors squad left for Tunis, Tunisia on Tuesday evening to engage the north African country in an international friendly billed for Saturday.
The Brave Warriors kicked off their preparations for the 2008 African Cup of Nations set for Ghana in January, by playing Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The Namibians lost both matches.
The surprise inclusion in the squad is former skipper Henrico Botes, who is on suspension by the Confederation of Football Association (CAF) for spitting on an Ethiopian player last year.
However, Botes’ suspension will end during the forthcoming AFCON showdown and he will then have an opportunity to showcase his talent.
The squad also includes a number of foreign-based players in the likes of Abisai Shiningayamwe, Hartman Toromba, Quinton Jacobs, Oliver Risser, Sydney Plaatjies and Collin Benjamin.
The rest of the squad are Athiel Mbaha, Gotlieb Nakuta, Michael Pienaar, Franklin April, Tulongeni Tuyeni, Richard Gariseb, Jamunovandu Ngatjizeko, Brian Brendell, Pernandinho Jagger, Pineas Jacob, Tara Katupose.
Officials: Benson Banfuchile,Cyril Isaacs, Filemon Kanalelo and Gerson Kandjii.
The team is expected back home next week.
– Additional reporting Nampa