WINDHOEK – Brave Warriors mentor Ricardo ‘Bucksy’ Mannetti is ready for the challenge to overcome Zambia at the first hurdle of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, which gets underway in June this year.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Easter Sunday conducted the draw for the 2016 CHAN qualifiers’ preliminary rounds. Namibia as an unseeded entry will face either seeded sides Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique or Botswana, and was paired against the number two FIFA ranked Cosafa team Zambia.
In his reaction to the draw, an excited Mannetti said he welcomes the challenge to take on the local Chipolopolos. “They (Zambia) are the second best team in Cosafa at the moment and it is a tough challenge for me and my team to come up against them at this stage. Obviously, we are the underdogs and that’s a good omen.”
Mannetti reckons playing the first game at home will be an advantage as that can be complemented by thorough preparation.
“Now we know who we will face and it is vital that we prepare very well and early for the first leg in Windhoek. I have not lost a match at the Sam Nujoma Stadium since officially given the mandate to lead the team. If we prepare well and playing at home first, we can overcome Zambia. They can be beaten but we must prepare adequately.”
Mannetti is banking on the experience of some returnees to the shores of the domestic league. “This competition is for locally based players and we have some experienced players who returned home such as Freedom Puriza, Heini Isaacks, Sadney Uri-Khob and Pineas Jacob. These are players that can help our cause as well but we have to be meticulous in our preparations,” he indicated.
First leg matches are slated for the weekend of June 19-21 with the return legs scheduled for July 3-5. The winner between Namibia and Zambia takes on the winner of the Mozambique/Seychelles preliminary round clash for the final berth in Rwanda 2016.