We will take it easy against Angola: Malembu

WINDHOEK, 26 JUL  – Paul ‘Shakes’ Malembu, the Under-17 national team coach says his players are relaxed and focused ahead of their semi-final game against Angola in the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Under-17 Championship in Mauritius.
The ‘Baby Warriors’ qualified for the semi-finals of the competition after beating Botswana 2-0 on Tuesday to top Group A and booked a date with their neighbours, Angola who are yet to lose a game at this year’s championship.
Speaking to Nampa from Mauritius on Thursday, the team coach said they are calm and taking it easy ahead of their clash with Angola on Friday.
“We have settled well in our camp; the boys are improving at every training session and our approach towards the game remains the same. We will play without fear or intimidation, because we have already achieved our main objective which was getting out of the group stage,” he said.
Malembu added that before the team travelled to Mauritius for the Cosafa tournament, they were underdogs and they will remain underdogs in the competition.
“Angola is a powerhouse in African football, we need to respect them in terms of their football experience and history. We are not going to crucify the boys if we don’t proceed to the next round because we are not here to win the competition; we came here to learn how to play international tournaments,” he said.
Namibia will meet Angola at the St Francois Xavier Stadium in Port Louis at 13h30.
The Cosafa U-17 Championship serves as a qualifier for the 2019 African U-17 Championships to be played in Tanzania, which in turn is a qualifier for the FIFA World Cup in Peru later that year.
(NAMPA)