WINDHOEK – The Braves Warriors of Namibia yesterday conceded a late goal to lose 1-0 against Madagascar in the 1st leg of the final round qualifiers of the 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) away in Antananarivo.

Warriors’ interim mentor Bobby Samaria said that they started off poorly due to the high pressing game of the hosts.

“We were losing the ball unnecessarily in critical areas putting pressure on ourselves and the first half ended 0-0 with no chances created for both teams.”

After the break, Samaria reveals, they improved due to tactical changes. “After the break we started to be very dangerous on the counter and we created two good chances from counter attacks of which one was missed and the other saved.”

Despite all decent efforts, the Warriors lost the match at the death. “With the game destined for a draw we conceded a late lousy goal with just 10 seconds left on the clock. But that is however part of the game and we now need to regroup and prepare well for the return leg in Windhoek.”

“We need to show character and come back stronger at home because we still have everything to play for. With our league inactive, we now need to devise a plan to ensure the team remain active and prepare for the 2nd leg.”

The Warriors return home on Tuesday, September 24, with the second leg slated for Windhoek on October 19. The aggregate winner of this fixture will qualify for the 2020 Chan finals to be held in Cameroon.
Next year’s Chan tournament will be the 6th edition of the biennial football competition, which is organised by Caf and it exclusively features players playing in their respective domestic leagues. It will be hosted between January and February 2020 in Cameroon. 

Unlike the Afcon, the competing national teams must be composed of players plying their trade domestically. For example, a Namibian player is only eligible to play for Namibia at Chan if he is playing for a Namibian club. Morocco are the defending champions.