In Mannetti I trust

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA



There are just a few weeks left before Namibia play Zambia in their last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, and I am confident in coach Riccardo Mannetti and his players.

It is a glorious opportunity for Mannetti and his charges and one can help but to feel that this will be a pivotal moment in Namibian football history.

Ricardo Mannetti has proven to be a mastermind in most of the national team matches and is on the verge of becoming Namibia's greatest football coach if he wins this last group match.

He has won the Cosafa Cup and has taken us to the CHAN quarterfinals before.

There is only one thing left for him to achieve in order to surpass his predecessors, and that is to help his team qualify for the showpiece in Egypt.

I believe the entire country is confident that he will be able to lead the national team to glory in Lusaka come 23 March.

Namibia has many talented coaches but there is one coach who has achieved more than any of the others, and how can we not be confident in the man of the moment?

It has been many years since the country qualified for the nations cup and one cannot help but feel confident in the man at the helm of it all.

In 1992, at the tender age of 17, Ricardo Mannetti made his first debut for the Brave Warriors and he went on to obtain 60 caps.

It has been 27 years since he made his debut for the national team and he is now on the verge of leading the team he loves so dearly into enemy territory as its coach.

In his early coaching career, he was in charge of clubs like Black Africa and the national under-20 football team, winning trophies at club level.

In June 2013, the real challenge presented itself when Mannetti was appointed as national team coach, replacing Swedish national Roger Palmgren.

Two years later, Mannetti became the first national team coach to lift the Cosafa Castle Cup in South Africa after his team defeated Mozambique 2-0 in the final.

In 2016, Mannetti led the nation to winning the Cosafa Cup plate section on home soil.

In 2017, the team lost 1-0 to host South Africa in the plate final of that tournament.

The good thing about Mannetti going into the final group match against Zambia is that he knows his players well, given the number of years they have played for him.

It is a team that he built with his predecessors and that is why the players respect him and follow his instructions on the pitch.

Playing against Zambia on their home turf will be difficult but I believe that the players' and the coach's experience will help them overcome their nerves.

The fact that Mannetti has coached the team for big games gives the nation more reason to trust whatever team he selects.

The away match is slated for 22 March. A Brave Warriors win against Zambia would book a place at the Afcon finals.

Guinea Bissau are currently leading Group K with eight points, followed by Namibia on eight points.

Mozambique are in third place on seven points, while Zambia are out of the qualification race after securing only four points so far.

The group winners and runners-up will qualify for the 32nd edition of the Total African Cup of Nations, to be hosted in Egypt from 15 June to 13 July.

A win for Mozambique against Guinea-Bissau and a defeat for Namibia against Zambia would certainly end the country's hopes of reaching the Afcon finals.

Namibia are seeking their third appearance at the tournament, after qualifying for the 1998 and 2008 editions.

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