Windhoek
Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti has announced the withdrawal of Civics goalkeeper Edward Maova from the national team due to a broken toe he suffered during the first day of training on Thursday, leaving the team with only three goalkeepers.
Mannetti who on Thursday morning named a 26-man squad which includes four goalkeepers – Edward Maova, David Peterson, Max Mbaeva and Virgil Vries – on Friday morning revealed that Maova is out of camp.
“Edward fractured his toe at training and will be out for two weeks. He is a promising goalkeeper and was surely going to keep the other guys on their toes as they push for places in the final Cosafa team, but now he is unfortunately out of action. I will however work with the three keepers left, no additions are necessary at the moment,” Mannetti states.
The Brave Warriors will take on Niger on June 4 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in their 2017 Afcon Group-K qualifier and Mannetti is also sweating over the availability of injured striker Ballack Somaeb, who plays for Free State Stars in the South African premiership, while utility defender Chris Katjiukua is also another absentee due to suspension.
Mannetti will next week trim down the team to 18 players for the Niger game and then again increase it to a 20-man ahead of their Cosafa Cup quarterfinal match against Botswana on June 18.
Already out of the team are the University of Pretoria (SA) pair of Stigga Ketjijere and Dudes Mwedihanga as well as Amazulu’ s Petrus Shitembi and Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park.