Given the importance and benefits the beautiful game of football provides to unite broken communities and people from all walks of life, one could not help but to shed a tear or two of joy and ecstasy for the Brave Warriors’ near faultless performance against the visiting Guinea Bissau at the packed to rafters Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, last weekend.

For the first time in a long time, our national football team, the Brave Warriors, as the team is affectionately known amongst its ardent followers, played some HARDEGAT football never witnessed in a long time on home soil.

Its now a well documented secret that Namibia, managed to manufacture back to back victories against Southern African giants, the Mozambican Black Mambas to restore belief and confidence amongst the usually hard to please Warriors followers. 

It should be noted that given the current toxic climate prevailing in our football administration – Namibia has ABSOLUTELY no business edging ahead of continental powerhouses Zambia, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique.
However, Bucksy Mannettie’s Babes stand on the verge of booking a spot in the continental showpiece to be hosted by Cameroon next year. 

For sure, yours truly don’t want to entertain the old adage of not counting chickens before they are hatched – but alas, we have a team capable of disturbing the applecart if our performance against Guinea Bissau is anything to go by.
The boys played with confidence and maturity against a squad loaded with professionals plying their trade in top football leagues, including the highly rated French Ligue One.     

  The team played with a structure and as much as yours truly would not want to single out individuals, the midfield combination of captain fantastic Stigga Ketjijere and my man of the match Petrus “Dancing Shoes” Shitembi was something out of this world. 

The pair bossed the engine room making their more celebrated counterparts look like beginners. Like a true captain of the ship, Ketjijere put in some decent passes but what really impressed me is the fashion in which he constantly attacked space – a rare commodity amongst local footballers.

With Zambia already eliminated from qualification, its now up to the Warriors to rewrite the history books, go to Zambia with only one thing in mind, a victory either by hook or crook to top the group standings, obviously hoping the result between Guinea Bissau and Mozambique in the final group K match goes our way.

Let me also applaud the technical team for recalling forgotten man, utility center back Chris ‘Mahoota” Katjukua to the fray. Without a shadow of doubt, the latter stabilised the defence with his vast experienced having spent a couple of seasons in the competitive South African Professional Soccer League (PSL).

My humble appeal to all Brave Warriors followers, let our support not be influenced by sentiments punctuated by club attachment and blind loyalty – the tirade of criticism leveled against Benson “Styles” Shilongo, is totally unjustifiable, unpatriotic and above all, personal and morale damaging. 

Of course, we all have our favourites but the coaches are the ones working with the players at training on a daily basis, let them execute their functions without interference and unnecessary undo pressure. I rest my case.