WINDHOEK – Brave Warriors mentor Ricardo Mannetti will tomorrow have to face the unpredictable Mambas of Mozambique without the venomous striking force of strikers Hendrick Somaeb and Itamunua Keimuine.
Namibia will tomorrow square off against Mozambique for their two-legged 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group K qualifiers in Maputo, with the second leg of their outing slated for the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Tuesday in Windhoek.
Besides the absence of Somaeb and Keimuine, Mannetti will also be without African Stars promising goalkeeper Ratanda Mbazuvara. Serbian-based Somaeb is out with injury while Ethiopian-based Keimuine had difficulties connecting flights to Maputo for the clash.
“Somaeb has been struggling with injury of late, trying to get back to his full fitness and this time he’s out. Itamunua is missing due to lack of proper flight connections from Ethiopia in time for our training camp. We therefore take 23 players to Maputo and the objective remains the same, to get a result away from home. Mbazuvara misses as Loydt Kazapua, Virgil Vries and Max Mbaeva are the three goalkeepers making the trip,” said Mannetti.
The team will return to Windheok on Sunday to prepare for Tuesday night’s return leg at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, which starts at 19h00. Tickets for Tuesday’s match are selling for N$50 at Computicket outlets and at Football House.
The final home game will be against Guinea Bissau next month, before they visit Zambia in March 2019. The group winner and the runner-up will qualify for the 32nd edition of the Total African Cup of Nations to be played in Cameroon from 15 June to 13 July 2019. – Adapted from NFA.org.na
The Brave Warriors squad for Mozambique: Maximillian Mbaeva (Golden Arrows, RSA), Virgil Vries (Kaizer Chiefs, RSA), Loydt Kazapua (Macabbi FC, RSA), Larry Horaeb (Unattached), Emilio Martin (Black Africa), Tiberius Lombard (Lusaka Dynamos, Zambia), Charles Hambira (Baroka, RSA), Denzil Haoseb (Highlands Park, RSA), Vitapi Ngaruka (Black Africa), Riaan Hananub (Jomo Cosmos, RSA), Ananias Gebhardt (Baroka, RSA), Dynamo Fredericks (Black Africa), Petrus Shitembi (Unattached), Ronald Ketjijere (African Stars), Wangu Batista Gome (Cape Umoya, RSA), Immanuel Heita (Black Africa), Absalom Iimbondi (Tigers), Deon Hotto (Bidvest Wits), Willy Stephanus (AC Kanjaani, Finland), Marcel Papama (Unam), Muna Katupose (Unam), Sadney Urikhob (Unattached), Benson Shilongo (Smouha, Egypt).