Maurice Kambukwe
WINDHOEK – Brave Warriors interim mentor Bobby Samaria yesterday didn’t make a secret of his desire to coach the men’s senior national team on a long-term basis, saying if an opportunity arises to permanently become head coach he will seize it.
The New Era Sport crew yesterday attended the Warriors’ morning training session, where the team was hard at work preparing for Sunday’s second leg of their 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers slated for the Sam Nujoma Stadium. Namibia won the 1st leg 2-0 away in Comoros last Friday.
On the sidelines of the training session, our crew caught up with an upbeat Samaria who shared his excitement about working with the national team and generally returning to Football House as one of the coaches after so many years plying his trade in the country’s flagship football league.
Queried if he harbours any ambitions of occupying the national team’s coaching hot seat on a long-term basis, should the Namibia Football Association (NFA) approach him with such an offer, Samaria wasted little time in responding with a big yes, saying should the NFA offer him the job, he will gladly accept it.
“I mean it’s on record now that the NFA won’t likely renew Ricardo Mannetti’s contract and they [NFA] said the position will be advertised, so for now I will wait for the FA to announce themselves properly. I will also wait and see when the post will be advertised and that’s when I will place a bid to run for the position. But you know the Almighty works in different ways, so for now we just have to wait and see what will happen. But I will definitely apply,” said Samaria, who was hastily roped in as head coach as a stopgap measure.
Mannetti’s contract as Warriors head gaffer officially runs full circle today and the Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee indicated that his position will be advertised and if Mannetti wishes to continue, he should re-apply for the job.
On his experiences with the national team so far, Samaria – who also recently parted ways with African Stars – said working with the national team is different from working with club players and the philosophies are also not alike.
“The national team differs from the club – here you have many players at your disposal and more options to look at, unlike at club level. National team level is also too tactical and if you make a single mistake you get punished for that, and it’s always difficult to bounce back unlike at club level, where you make errors and still bounce back. But all in all, I can handle the pressure, I’m very used to this. African Stars is a big team and I went through this kind of pressure, so I’m actually not new as per se,” added the experienced gaffer.
Asked if he was consulted before Stars appointed Ghana’s Mohammad Gargo as new head coach, Samaria said he was not in the better position to speak on that matter. “The NFA obtained permission from the club [Stars], we engaged and agreed that I temporarily take the Warriors job. But it’s not for me to say what transpired, the club’s chairman will be in a good position to answer those questions.”