By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK
Namibia’s Brave Warriors are on a mission to arrest their recent slump that has seen the once fearful Warriors outfit sink to six defeats and two draws in their last eight internationals.
The Warriors have a date with Kenya’s Harambee Stars in a 2010 World Cup qualifier at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium, tomorrow (15h00).
The match also doubles up as a passage for the 27th edition of the African Nations Cup finals in Angola in 2010.
Namibia go into the match from successive home defeats against lowly placed Malawi and Zimbabwe respectively, but coach Arie Schans is confident his team has what it takes to turn the tables at the expense of the troubled Kenyan side.
The Warriors will be without utility midfielder Oliver Risser and inspirational winger Collin Benjamin, who is nursing a bruised toe, while serious doubts are hovering over the availability of midfielders Brian Brendell and Quinton “Magic” Jacobs.
Both players are on the treatment table and Schans is holding his breath in the hope for the pair to recover in time and propel the team to the perfect start that would see them reaching their third Nations Cup finals.
The 56-year old mentor conceded that Kenya remains a closed book for him and his technical team but was hopeful of laying his hands on some video footage from the Harambee Stars’ recent matches.
Meanwhile, Schans said he would not release players already in the Warriors training camp to turn out for their respective clubs ahead of the Kenya clash, and expressed concern over the league officials’ persistence to schedule matches on the heels of national activities.
Namibia is pitted in the same group as Zimbabwe, Kenya and Guinea.