A mountain to climb

After months of anticipation, Afcon 2019 will kick off today with a match between hosts Egypt and Zimbabwe at the Cairo International Stadium at 22:00.The Brave Warriors will play their first group match on Sunday, when they clash with Morocco at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo at 16:30.It is now up to the players and coaches to play their cards right, after months of blood, sweat and tears.Namibia are making their third appearance at Africa's biggest football showpiece and the Warriors are on a quest to record their first win at the tournament.The task for Ricardo Mannetti and his men cannot be any tougher, as they are pitted against traditional powerhouses in Group D. Group D is definitely the group of death and any team qualifying for the knockout stages from this group will automatically be among the favourites to go all the way.Ivory Coast, Morocco and South Africa are all former winners of the competition and will be tough nuts to crack for Namibia.These nations share a great history and have all also participated in the Fifa World Cup. Namibia enter the tournament as the ultimate underdogs and the lowest ranked team in their group. The Brave Warriors, who won the Cosafa Cup in 2015, will be on the back foot if they do not manage to at least draw against Morocco in their first match. It is no secret that the bookmakers have written Namibia off before a ball has been kicked at the tourney. However, the occasion perfectly poised for the Namibians to write their names into the history books, if they produce performances beyond their wildest dreams.Many in the Brave Warriors squad have dreamed of rubbing shoulders with players in the European leagues, and they have a chance to face them on the field of battle. Some are likely to come up against players they admire, and nerves will be jangling.“Yes, we do know that we are the underdogs but the players are energised and ready to produce special performances. “Sunday will be one of those days where I will put my trust in all my players because I know they are capable of wonders.“I have been saying this, and I will say it again, we are going to give our best and there are no small teams at the competition,” Mannetti said. Namibia go into Sunday's game oozing confidence after beating one of the tournament's favourites Ghana 1-0 in a friendly match a fortnight ago. Mannetti and his charges will be well-aware that they have never beaten Morocco in six matches.The only time Namibia got anything out of a match against Morocco was in 2000 when the teams played to a 0-0 stalemate. It is for this reason that the Namibian players will have to be sharp, in order to deal with Morocco's fast-paced game plan. Namibia have often also struggled against North African teams, but the coach feels it will be a different story this time around.“Our aim is to get a draw against Morocco but a win for us will be a remarkable bonus. The boys need the support of the nation, given the task they are faced with,” Mannetti reiterated. The squad is as follows: Ratanda Mbazuvara, Loydt Kazapua, Max Mbaeva, Ryan Nyambe, Larry Horaeb, Denzil Haoseb, Ivan Kamberipa, Charles Hambira, Riaan Hanamub, Ananias Gebhardt, Absalom Iimbondi, Willy Stephanus, Petrus Shitembi, Ronald Ketjijere, Dynamo Fredericks, Marcel Papama, Manfred Starke, Deon Hotto, Itamunua Keimuine, Benson Shilongo, Peter Shalulile, Joslin Kamatuka and Isaskar Gurirab. Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

A mountain to climb

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-14

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A mountain to climb

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-14

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