Striker Rudolph Bester has been included in the Brave Warriors squad which will leave for a training camp in Germany on December 12.
On November 13, Bester absconded from the Brave Warriors camp to attend trials with a Serbian Premier League club, which drew a sharp rebuke from the Namibia Football Association at the time.
â??At the moment no official position has been taken by the NFA other than the normal procedure of pressing charges,â? the NFA said at the time.
The Brave Warriors team manager Tim Isaacs however told Namibia Sport that the NFA had not taken an official stand on Besterâ??s abscondment yet and in the absence of that, the technical staff decided to select him for the squad to Germany which was announced on Friday, December 7.
â??This issue has not officially been addressed yet, and we have not received any directive from the NFA to exclude him,â? he said.
Kanalelo forces way into squad
The 24-man squad shows several new faces like Ramblers defender Luther Kanalelo, winger Freedom Puriza and defender Ivan Namaseb from South African first division side AK FC, and Tigersâ?? youthful striker Tangeni Shipahu.
Kanalelo has been in great form lately and helped his club Ramblers win the FNB Cup trophy last weekend, where he also won the Player of the Series award.
Namaseb has been in fine form for AK FC, helping them to the top of the Mvela Inland Stream log, but he recently injured his knee in a club match and is a doubtful starter for the trip to Germany.
Puriza is recalled to the squad for the first time in a year, since making his debut against South Africa in September 2006, while Shipahu is called up for the first time, after some fine performances for his club, Tigers in the Namibia Premier League.
Puriza and Namasebâ??s team mate at AK FC, striker Costa Khaiseb is unlucky not to receive a call up after playing a leading role in AK FCâ??s surge to the top of the log, scoring five goals in eight matches.
Civics midfielder Jamu Ngatjizeko misses the trip due to injury.
Foreign-based players
Most of Namibiaâ??s European-based players are in the squad, although Namibians playing professionally in South Africa have not been considered since their clubs are still in action.
The foreign-based players in the squad are Oliver Risser of Bonner SV, Quinton Jacobs of Bryne FC, Collin Benjamin of Hamburg SV and Letu Shatimuene of Primero de Agosto. Shatimueneâ??s team mate at Atletico, Meraai Swartbooi misses the trip since he is getting married in Mariental on Saturday, December 15.
The South African-based professionals who were not considered for the trip include goalie Epharaim Tjihonge and defender Hartman Toromba of Black Leopards and goalie Abisai Shiningayamwe of Jomo Cosmos.
Two week training camp
The team leaves for Southern Germany on December 12 where they will undergo a two-week training camp under new assistant coach Arie Schans who will join up with them.
He will be joined by assistant coaches Brian Isaacks and Ronnie Kanalelo, while the rest of the technical team consists of the head of delegation Kornelius Kapenda, team manager Tim Isaacs and team medic Gerson Kandjii.
Isaacs meanwhile told Namibia Sport that coach Ben Bamfuchile, who is recuperating in Zambia, was in good health and hopeful of recovering before the African Cup of Nations finals in Ghana, starting on January 20.
â??I have been in touch with Ben and he sounded positive that he would recover,â? he said.
The team will also play some friendly matches against local German teams before returning to Namibia on December 24.
The full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
Athiel Mbaha (Orlando Pirates), Maximilian Mbaeva (African Stars)
Defenders:
Michael Pienaar (Ramblers), Franklin April (Civics), Richard Gariseb (Bidwest Wits), Ivan Namaseb (FC AK), Gottlieb Nakuta (Blue Waters), Chris Katjiukua (Eleven Arrows), Jeremias Baisako (Ramblers), Donnelly Nel (Civics), Luther Kanalelo (Ramblers).
Midfielders:
Oliver Risser (Bonner SV), Quinton Jacobs (Bryne FC), Tulongeni Tuyeni (Civics), Collin Benjamin (Hamburg SV), Freedom Puriza (AK FC), Letu Shatimuene (Primeira de Agosto), Brian Brendell (Civics).
Strikers:
Pinias Jacob (Ramblers), Rudolph Bester (Eleven Arrows), Muna Katupose (Oshakati City), Reinholdt Andimba (Eleven Arrows), Tara Katupose (Oshakati City), Tangeni Shipahu (Tigers).