'They wanted to play'

Brave Warriors interim coach Bobby Samaria has revealed that he was the one who advised Ryan Nyambe (Blackburn Rovers) and Manfred Starke (Kaiserslautern) to miss the first leg of Namibia's preliminary World Cup qualifier against Eritrea, so they could try to cement their places at their respective clubs.He was responding to questions about the loyalty of the two foreign-based players, who were noticeable absentees from the Brave Warriors team that beat Eritrea 2-1 away. Some football fans took to social media to vent their frustration about the absence of the players, saying committed players perform the “donkey work” for the team to qualify for big tournaments like the Africa Nations Cup (Afcon), and eventually get dropped when Nyambe and Starke make their grand entrance.“These two guys can't just decide which matches to play, when it suits them,” said Paulus Mathias, a football fan.However, Samaria said these types of comments are off the mark, as both players were willing to play for the country.“I was the one who advised them to stay and try to cement their places at their respective clubs.“With them not being around, it automatically freed up two positions that locally-based players could take.“Also, playing professional football does not equate to an automatic national call-up,” Samaria said.The two players featured in the Afcon squad led by former coach Ricardo Mannetti, who is now out-of-contract.Namibia were victorious against the Red Sea Camels of Eritrea, but failed to convert more chances that came their way. Namibia's first goal came from captain Peter Shalulile, while the second was an own-goal by Eritrea captain Henok Goitom. The scoreline infuriated some Warriors' fans, as they felt the team failed to show dominance when it mattered. They expected the Namibians to use the match as warm-up fixture against a lowly-rated opponent.“I don't know why they are not consistent with their performances, but I guess each match is different,” said Simon Paulus, another football fan.Samaria said they indeed missed chances, but the plan is improve in the second leg, which will be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium tomorrow. The match is expected to start at 19:00, with tickets selling for N$30 in advance at Computicket and N$50 at the gate.LIMBA MUPETAMI

'They wanted to play'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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'They wanted to play'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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