Namibia coach relishes facing Morocco, Ivory Coast & SA

Ricardo Mannetti, coach of Namibia

Friday Apr 26, 2019. 13:00

Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti says they will be the underdogs at the upcoming 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Egypt.

The Brave Warriors have been pitted against Morocco, South Africa and Ivory Coast in Group D.

Mannetti stated that they go there to enjoy themselves and make Namibia proud.

"Perfect draw for the underdogs. They will not focus on us but on themselves and this is exactly where I want to be," Mannetti said on the NFA website.

Mannetti reveals that preparations for AFCON will start in May.

"We will start our preparations from the 26th of May in one of the neighbouring countries of Egypt. We need to make sure we prepare under the same conditions as it will be very hot in Egypt," he added.

The Brave Warriors will be based in Cairo and open Group D with a date against Morrocco on June 23 before taking on South Africa on June 28, both at Al Salam Stadium . They will play the final group game against Ivory Coast on 1 July at Cairo International Stadium.

"Also we will need to be around other countries so that we can easily play friendlies with other countries with minimal travelling and so our camp destination, to be confirmed soon will be very close to Egypt," he explained.