WINDHOEK – Namibia’s England-based defender Ryan Nyambe will tomorrow make his home debut at the Sam Nujoma Stadium when the Brave Warriors face the visiting Les Sao of Chad for the group stage qualifier of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
The 21-year old Nyambe, who plays for English Championship side Blackburn Rovers, has so far only made three appearances for Namibia since committing his international career to the Warriors. All three appearances came at this year’s Afcon finals in Egypt.
The young versatile defender has never played for the Warriors on home soil and come tomorrow, he will be expected to be handed an opportunity to strut his stuff for the home fans.
Chad, who already arrived in Windhoek last week, will be expected to stretch the Warriors to the limit with Chadian Indonesian-based lethal front man Ezechiel N’Douassel anticipated to be in the thick of things come tomorrow.
The visiting northern-central Africans have never qualified for the Afcon nor have they ever qualified for the World Cup. In March 2016, the Chadian Football Federation (CFF) announced they were withdrawing from the 2017 Afcon qualifiers due to financial problems.
As a result, the team was subsequently banned from entering the following edition (2019 Afcon in Egypt), meaning they would play no official games for over three years until September 2019, when Chad lost 1–3 at home to Sudan in 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification.
A month later, the Les Sao bounced back from the set to defeat Liberia on penalties to reach the group stage of 2021 Afcon qualifiers, where they now face Namibia, Mali and Guinea.
As for Warriors interim coach Bobby Samaria, he called up a strong 28-man squad for the qualifiers, starting with tomorrow’s match and this coming Sunday’s 2021 Afcon qualifier away to Guinea in Conakry.
Nyambe forms part of the 28-man squad called up by Samaria and is joined by regular and highly reliable campaigners such as fellow Peter Shalulile, Benson Shilongo, Benjamin Nenkavu, Riaan Hanamub and goalie Virgil Vries to mention but a few.
Speaking to the local football association’s media desk, Samaria said: “It’s a big game for us to play our first Afcon qualifiers at home. Home games matter so much and we need to show up to ensure we get the job done. Lessons were taken from the Zambia defeat (on Saturday in the Dr Hage Geingob Cup) and we march on towards qualification for the next Afcon finals. As for Nyambe, he will be making his home debut and it’s important that with the help from his teammates, he settles in quickly and do the job for his country,” emphasised Samaria.
Tomorrow’s match starts at 18h00 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium and tickets are selling at Pick ‘n Pay stores countrywide and at Football House for N$30 each.
Brave Warriors 28-man squad: Virgil Vries, Loydt Kazapua, Ratanda Mbazuvara and Edward Maova, Aprocious Petrus, Ivan Kamberipa, Emilio Martin, Teberius Lombard, Ryan Nyambe, Larry Horaeb, Denzil Haoseb, Chris Katjiukua and Riaan Hanamub, Marcel Papama, Immanuel Heita, Dynamo Fredericks, Llewelyn Stanley, Absalom Iimbondi, Petrus Shitembi, Wangu Gome, Benyamin Nenkavu, Deon Hotto, Isaskar Gurirab, Elmo Kambindu, Panduleni Nekundi, Peter Shalulile, Benson Shilongo and Joslin Kamatuka.