Namibia and Botswana drew 0-0 in an Independence Day football friendly at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
There were lots of ‘thrills’ through chances created, but more ‘spills’ as they all went abegging.
While the uneven rugby pitch hampered quality football, it was also clear that Namibia’s strikers wasted great opportunities through elemental mistakes and poor ball control.
This left Brave Warriors coach Tom Saintfiet unimpressed after the match, while he also took a dig at journalists who question the absence of certain Premiership players in the national squad.
“Both teams played well and created some big chances. I think we had some really big chances, in the first few minutes Paulus Shipanga came close. During the game I saw three big chances for Tangeni Shipahu and I hope that now every journalist who writes that strikers who score more goals in the Namibian Premier League have to play in the national team, will understand that the national level is higher, where we always have the problem that the strikers don’t score goals,” he said.
“I’m frustrated at the moment and I’m actually very disappointed. Botswana played well, but we had some big chances and if you don’t score from these chances as strikers, then you have to think very hard whether you can play at this level,” he added.
Paulus Shipanga did have a great chance in the first minute when he broke free in the penalty area but his shot went straight to the keeper, Modiri Marumo. Marumo also brought off a great diving save to parry a Quinton Jacobs freekick away.
Shipahu missed two big chances, first shooting into the side netting after beating his defender with a fine turn of pace and then shooting wide when he pounced onto a loose ball after a defensive mix up in Botswana’s box.
Young Black Africa striker Roger Katjiteo, who was making his debut, also shot wide after running onto a long clearance early on, while he created some problems for Botswana’s defence with his pace and height.
Botswana also came close a few times, especially through winger Mokgathi Mokgathi and striker Onalethata Tshekiso. But Namibia will feel that this was a match they should have won.
Saintfiet singled out Katjiteo’s performance but couldn’t hide his overall disappointment.
“For me the young 19-year-old debutant Roger Katjiteo played very well, and I think that was the big surprise for everyone. The defence did well and the midfield was a bit tired in the second half. You could see that Quinton Jacobs has not played much and he hasn’t been training in two weeks. Up front they played quite well but I’m so disappointed. If you get such big chances and you don’t score them, then you will not beat the Seychelles, Botswana or anyone else,” he added.
Saintfiet said he had brought on Ralph Ellinger at the start of the second half, in place of Michael Pienaar, with a view on next weekend’s CHAN Cup match against Seychelles.
“At the end of the first half I took Michael Pienaar off. That was not because he didn’t play well or had an injury – we discussed it before the game that we wanted to try out Ralph Ellinger there because he will normally play against the Seychelles in that position. For the rest - we will go into camp tomorrow night and start working on which players will be in the final squad,” he said.