Namibian Sun

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

WINDHOEK

The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has shortlisted six coaches out of the 13 who had applied for the Brave Warriors top job, with three foreign nationals said to be among those selected.

Namibian Sun has been reliably informed that locals Collin Benjamin, Ali Akan and current Brave Warriors interim coach Bobby Samaria have also made the cut.

Details of the names of the two Europeans at the moment remain sketchy, but speculation is that one of the coaches is a Dutch national.

This newspaper can confirm, however, that the Zambian who was last seen at Lusaka Dynamos in the Zambian Premier League has made an attempt to become the second Zambian to lead the Brave Warriors, with the first being Ben Bamfuchile.

“They were initially 13 who applied for the job but have now been shortlisted to six.

“There is definitely a guy with the name Smith and one with the name Hans, but I am not 100% about that.

“What I can confirm is that Akan, Samaria, Benjamin and Nyirenda are among those shortlisted,” the source said.

Namibia Football Association secretary-general Franco Cosmos played down the information.

Cosmos said the NFA was not in position to reveal the names of those shortlisted but would do so as soon as all procedures had been followed.

“My friend, if your source told you this, go back to him/her and find out more because I will not confirm anything with you now.

“This process is being done by an independent HR consultancy and I can therefore not brief you on anything right now until the time is right,” Cosmos said.

About Nyirenda

The Zambian is a former striker for Nchanga Rangers and Power Dynamos in the MTN/FAZ Super Division. He also had a stint with Kaizer Chiefs.

His managerial career includes coaching Zanaco FC, Zesco United, Baroka FC and Lusaka Dynamos at club level.

Nyirenda was part of the Zambian Under-20 team that won the Cosafa Under-20 Championship in South Africa and the African Youth Championship.

He also led the Zambian national team to a second-place finish in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in a group which included Nigeria, Algeria, and Cameroon.

At the helm of the Zambian national team coach, he also helped the team qualify to the 2018 African Nations Championships.

Benjamin in for it

Collin Benjamin, who has been confirmed as the latest to apply and be shortlisted for the job, joins compatriots Bobby Samaria and Ali Akan on the shortlist.

Benjamin played for German Bundesliga sides Hamburg and TSV 1860 München, where he became one of the few Namibians to play in the UEFA Champions League.

He earned 32 international caps and captained the Brave Warriors for several years, representing the team at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

Benjamin hung up his boots at TSV 1860 München at the end of the 2011/12 season, before returning in 2013 to join the club’s youth academy coaching internship programme.

During the 2013/14 season, Benjamin took charge of the club’s under-13 team and was promoted to be one of the TSV 1860 München assistant coaches during the 2014/15 season.

The player however returned to Namibia with the aim of improving the game of football in his mother country.

Ali Akan and Samaria also have plenty of experience, having won premier league titles over the years.