The last time they met in Calabar Namibia more than held her own against Nigeria losing narrowly by 0-1. Granted Nigeria had not yet found the after burners that saw them demolish Liberia 6-1 in her next game, nor had she developed the fangs that laid waste to the rest of the continent at the ANC in South Africa.
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She was still so to say, finding her voice and deciding if to sing in a falsetto or with a baritone.
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Things are different now. Though without the enigmatic Moses who gave the Warriors major fits then, Nigeria is unbeaten in her last two games against Mexico and Kenya and will want to make it three in a row.
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Meanwhile in the Namibian camp things too have changed. Coach Palmgren got cold feet after being supposedly threatened and quit. This now leaves the new man Ricardo Mannetti with the unenviable task to derail the African Champion.
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However it could be a blessing in disguise because he has been saying the right things and news from Windhoek indicate that the Warriors burned brightly in camp and are freshly motivated by the change.
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The issue here is what will happen when the wind actually blows? Will the Warriors generate enough heat without key players like their foreign-based professionals, Ronald Ketjijere (University of Pretoria), Henrico Botes (Platinum Stars), Heini Isaacks (Maritzburg United) and Rudolf Bester (Orlando Pirates) who are all injured to actually warm the West Africans, let alone sear or burn them?
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Also in question is how high will Namibia play to
disrupt the Eagles? Considering that Nigeria's speedy wing play (even in her infantile stage in Calabar) severely taxed the Namibian back line, it is safe to say that a wrong strategy by the new coach will be disastrous and it will be a long night for Namibia.
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Nevertheless as the same night wears on and Nigeria is unable to find the back of the net Namibia will soon start to dictate the pace in front of her home crowd. Add to the fact that the Namibians have cunningly set kick for 8.00 PM and that it is now a blistering winter, it too could be a long night for the Eagles as well as icy cold.
I think the cold affected them at the end of it all cos they were not supposed to draw that game. I was dissappointed.