Tura Magic Ladies have appointed former Namibia Football Association (NFA) technical director, Timo Tjongarero to lead them at the Cosafa Women’s Champions League later this month.
Tjongarero, who won the Cosafa Youth Cup with the national U/17 team in Mauritius 2016, will be assisted by Tura Magic Ladies’ former head coach Shama Gure.
The appointment came after Cosafa had asked all teams taking part to submit the names of coaches with a CAF licence.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday, Tjongarero, the former Tura Magic Men’s gaffer, said it is a tough task that he has been entrusted with but despite the appointment coming on short notice, he will make use of what is at his disposal to ensure the team does well at the tournament.
“It’s a great opportunity for me – and it will require a lot of work that should be done in a short time. We’ve been at the Cosafa before and the experience is there – so, for me, it is just to work closely with the guys who have been with the team in the past few months to guide me and familiarising myself with current players.”
“I believe all the players want this; they want to win. So, that’s the take-off point, despite having limited time to prepare. But we will make use of the remaining time to ensure we prepare well and put up a great performance at the tournament,” he said.
Also speaking at the same event, Tura Magic chairman Isack Hamata revealed that Cosafa requires N$145 000 as participation fee, and pleaded with the nation to assist in any way possible.
“It’s a huge opportunity for Tura Magic and Namibia at large. It’s no longer a Magic thing but has now become a Namibia thing, so we are asking the nation at large to help us in any way possible to make sure we raise funds to send the girls to Port Elizabeth to compete,” he said.
“This is an enormous opportunity for our players to get the exposure, which could see them get signed to teams outside the country. This will also create opportunities for possible collaboration deals.”
The tournament will take place from 26 August until 4 September 2021 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Magic will be one of seven teams that will compete in the tournament, along with South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, Double Action Ladies (Botswana), Manzini Wanderers LFC (Eswatini), Lesotho Defence Force (Lesotho), Green Buffaloes FC (Zambia) and Black Rhino Queens FC (Zimbabwe).
- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na