Cosmos confirms friendly match talk
Limba Mupetami
WINDHOEK
The Brave Warriors are in talks with South Africa's Bafana Bafana for a friendly match next month.
The Namibia Football Association (NFA) confirmed they received an invitation from Bafana Bafana to host a friendly match on the 8 October in Windhoek, which will be part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge.
The condition for the proposed match in Namibia is that the South Africans prefer a pitch with grass, according to NFA acting secretary-general, Franco Cosmos.
Other options
“We all know the condition of the Independence Stadium at the moment so that is not possible.
And with that, we have written to them to find out more about their stadium preference and we have also given them options.
“Either we play on an artificial turf, which is the Sam Nujoma Stadium, we engage and ask the Rugby Union if we can use their field, or we play the match away in South Africa,” he added.
Depending on the South African team's response, the NFA will announce a training camp for players, with Covid-19 rules and regulations as well as the stage in mind.
Getting warmed up
The friendly is a welcome tune-up with tough upcoming international assignments confirmed by the Confederation of African Football and Fifa's international calendar.
If the matches go ahead, it would mark the return to international football for interim coach Bobby Samaria's team, who is currently without an assistant coach, after Woody Jacobs resigned last week.
Been a while
The neighbours last met in an international friendly in March 2010. Rudolf Bester fired Namibia into the lead, while Katlego Mphela ensured that the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate in Durban. The South Africans have also sent out a friendly invitation to Zambia. “We looked within the Cosafa region due to travel restrictions and the countries we approached have been very receptive and they agreed to play us. They also want to get their national teams back in action,” said South Africa Football Associations spokesperson, Dominic Chimhavi.
Critical matches
He further said the proposed match against Zambia would likely take place at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, while they will welcome Sao Tome at the same venue for the 9 November Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
“The real position is that the coach of our national team wants critical matches to be played at FNB Stadium so we are likely to host Zambia there. That is where we also plan to host Sao Tome e Principe,” Chimhavi said.
WINDHOEK
The Brave Warriors are in talks with South Africa's Bafana Bafana for a friendly match next month.
The Namibia Football Association (NFA) confirmed they received an invitation from Bafana Bafana to host a friendly match on the 8 October in Windhoek, which will be part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge.
The condition for the proposed match in Namibia is that the South Africans prefer a pitch with grass, according to NFA acting secretary-general, Franco Cosmos.
Other options
“We all know the condition of the Independence Stadium at the moment so that is not possible.
And with that, we have written to them to find out more about their stadium preference and we have also given them options.
“Either we play on an artificial turf, which is the Sam Nujoma Stadium, we engage and ask the Rugby Union if we can use their field, or we play the match away in South Africa,” he added.
Depending on the South African team's response, the NFA will announce a training camp for players, with Covid-19 rules and regulations as well as the stage in mind.
Getting warmed up
The friendly is a welcome tune-up with tough upcoming international assignments confirmed by the Confederation of African Football and Fifa's international calendar.
If the matches go ahead, it would mark the return to international football for interim coach Bobby Samaria's team, who is currently without an assistant coach, after Woody Jacobs resigned last week.
Been a while
The neighbours last met in an international friendly in March 2010. Rudolf Bester fired Namibia into the lead, while Katlego Mphela ensured that the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate in Durban. The South Africans have also sent out a friendly invitation to Zambia. “We looked within the Cosafa region due to travel restrictions and the countries we approached have been very receptive and they agreed to play us. They also want to get their national teams back in action,” said South Africa Football Associations spokesperson, Dominic Chimhavi.
Critical matches
He further said the proposed match against Zambia would likely take place at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, while they will welcome Sao Tome at the same venue for the 9 November Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
“The real position is that the coach of our national team wants critical matches to be played at FNB Stadium so we are likely to host Zambia there. That is where we also plan to host Sao Tome e Principe,” Chimhavi said.
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