Mannetti, Ketjijere call for fans’ backing

WINDHOEK, SEPT. 6 – Brave Warriors head coach, Ricardo Mannetti and captain Ronald Ketjijere have called on the nation to come out in numbers and cheer the national team on to victory over Zambia on Saturday.
Speaking at the conclusion of the team’s training session at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Thursday, Mannetti said the team’s preparations had gone well with all the players, except Sadney Urikhob who is suffering from blisters.
Mannetti said the team will play good football and as a team, they are expecting the fans to be the 12th man during the match.
“The fans must come and support the team, they must make sure that team is pushed to the next level. There will be difficult times and joyous times during the 90 minutes. Throughout, the fans must be positive and encourage the boys to achieve the desired results,” he said.
His views were echoed by Ketjijere who said when Namibia plays away from home, the opposing fans always create a festive atmosphere for the home teams.
“It should always be the same here as well. Everyone must come and paint Sam Nujoma red and make as much noise as possible. The team spirit is high. We need the fans to give us support while we play at home,” he said.
He noted that Zambia will come out guns blazing as they would want to register their first win for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“We are two teams in a similar situation. We all want to win this game as we both lost our opening matches,” Ketjijere concluded.
Namibia lost its first round match of the qualifiers with a 1-0 score line in an away match to Guinea Bissau, while Zambia lost at home by a similar score line to Mozambique.
Meanwhile Mannetti says he expects a different Zambian team from the one that Namibia played at the African Championships in Morocco in January this year, and at the Council of Southern African Football Associations Cup in South Africa in June this year.
“They have a new coach who is Belgian. Hence, we expect a different Zambia side. He wants to make a mark with his philosophy and ideology. For us, it is still the same. We are fighting for the three points,” he said.
Group winners qualify for the finals in Cameroon in June 2019. – NAMPA