Booking our tickets to Cameroon

LIMBA MUPETAMI



The Brave Warriors under the tutelage of Ricardo ‘Bugsy’ Mannetti are on the verge of making history, if they qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup Nations Cup (Afcon) in Cameroon.

The Namibians are well-poised to confirm their place at next year’s tournament, thanks to an excellent double-header result against Mozambique. They won 2-1 away and 1-0 at home within a matter of days.

It has not been an easy qualification campaign for our boys and two tough matches lie ahead.

However, these so-called ‘small boys’ of African football stunned Os Mambas in their own backyard and then at a packed Sam Nujoma Stadium a few days later.

Nobody believed they would upset the group apple cart in such a fashion.

The results was celebrated as though the nation qualified for the Fifa World Cup.

This was especially necessary, because the country is burdened with such bad news these days.

Mannetti has been doing incredible work with the squad, but will now have to go back to the drawing board to plot his next move against Guinea Bissau (home) and Zambia (away).

If the squad executes correctly, they will book their tickets that will allow them to brush shoulders with the so-called ‘big boys’ of African football - the likes of Nigeria and Senegal (who have already qualified) - along with Madagascar, who will be making their first appearance at the tourney after 46 years of trying.

Afcon qualification group standings and predictions:

Group A

Senegal and Madagascar are through. Equatorial Guinea and Sudan will miss out.

Group B

I put my money on Cameroon and Morocco to go through. Malawi and Comoros will surely miss out.

Group C

Mali and Gabon are the favourites. Burundi will be a tough customer, but will falter in the end, together with South Sudan.

Group D

Algeria and Benin are safe in this group. Togo is my favourite, but I doubt they will beat Algeria in their remaining encounter to get those much-needed points; so they will miss out, together with Gambia.

Group E

South Africa and Nigeria will top the group. However, Bafana Bafana seem to be struggling when they shouldn’t. One moment they are blowing hot air and the next they look confused. Bafana need to be consistent.

Group F

Kenya and Ghana are the favourites. It seems like that Sierra Leone, who are having administrative woes, will be joined by Ethiopia on the sidelines of the Afcon tournament.

Group G

Most definitely Zimbabwe will top this group and will be joined at Afcon by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo-Brazzaville and Liberia, better luck next time.

Group H

The mighty aristocrats of Ivory Coast will surely be part of Afcon 2019. African football will never be the same if the Ivoirians are not part of the tourney. Guinea will also qualify. As for Rwanda and the Central African Republic, they will lick their wounds at home.

GROUP I

Mauritania and Angola will top the group. I know that Burkina Faso is second on the log, but I trust the Angolans to create some magic. Burkina Faso will be followed home by Botswana.

GROUP J

Tunisia and Egypt will see the grass in Cameroon, Swaziland and Niger miss out.

GROUP K

This is the group all Namibians have their eyes on. Guinea-Bissau and Namibia are both on seven points, and will make it through. Namibia needs to beat Guinea in their November encounter to go through. To add cream to the cake, the Warriors will most probably also eliminate Zambia in their last encounter in March. Mozambique and Zambia will watch the Afcon tourney from the comfort of their lounges.

GROUP L

Uganda and Cape Verde will surface as the favourites to go through, while Lesotho and Tanzania will stay behind and wait until next time.

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