TEMPORARY Brave Warriors Coach, Ricardo Mannetti, said Roger Palmgren’s shocking resignation should be relegated to history and has called on the nation to support the depleted side.
The Brave Warriors head into Wednesday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria with a mountain to climb after Palmgren quit on Sunday, while the team’s injury list continues to grow.
Palmgren resigned with immediate effect citing “serious threats directed towards him and his family.”
Namibia Football Association (NFA) then installed Mannetti in temporary charge of the Brave Warriors against Nigeria, with Ronnie Kanalelo as his assistant.
“I worked with Roger for two weeks and the knowledge he has about football is enormous and I learned a lot. So for me as well it was a shock that he resigned but as a Namibian fan and a Namibian coach I think that we should not be in shock.
“We should not let what happened with Roger become a stumbling block for us to give a good performance against Nigeria on Wednesday evening,” he said.
Mannetti said after Monday’s training session, “that has been my plea to the national team, that we must take hands and that we must forget about Roger. He is in the past now and he’s not going to come back - he has resigned, he has moved on. Now we have to look at what we have, and what players we have. We have to roll up our sleeves, and give it our all,” he added.
Mannetti called on the Namibian nation to support the team.
“We need all the Namibian fans to get behind this team and forget about the fact that Roger is not there. This is their team and it is our team, it is our pride and joy, and we have to treat it as such. So I just have this plea to the entire nation that they must come and support their team, because this team needs their support,” he said.
Mannetti was adamant that they would give Nigeria a tough fight.
“It will be very tough against Nigeria, they are after all the African champions. We will respect them but we are not going to roll over and let them come and dictate matters in Windhoek. Our boys are up for a fight and we will be Warriors for the entire 90 minutes.”
The Brave Warriors’ injury list, however, continues to grow, as Oliver Risser and Manfred Starke both seem unlikely to play. The recalled Risser injured his knee during training while Starke has a heavy bout of flu.
The Brave Warriors are already without the services of foreign-based professionals Ronald Ketjijere, Henrico Botes, Heini Isaacks and Rudolf Bester, who are all injured.
Furthermore, Captain Da Costa Angula will also miss the match after picking up two yellow cards in previous World Cup qualifying matches.
But despite the setbacks, Mannetti vowed that his team would make their country proud.
“The only thing that I can predict is that these boys will not roll over and be taken for a ride on this pitch on Wednesday evening. These guys will fight for the entire 90 minutes and they will make every Namibian fan very proud of being a Namibian,” he said.
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