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Eddie Chikamhi, Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Michael Nees has called on Zimbabweans based in South Africa to come in large numbers to help his team complete back-to back wins over bogey side Namibia in the return leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Monday.
Zimbabwe edged their opponents 0-1 at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday thanks to a solitary strike from Khama Billiat’s first half penalty conversion.
However, much to Nees’ disappointment, the match was played behind closed doors after the Namibians made the request to lock fans out.
As they prepare to return to the same stadium for the reverse fixture with Zimbabwe now technically the home side, the German coach told journalists that fans could provide the X-factor for his team.
The Warriors did not perform to their best on Thursday and could only manage a smash-and-grab victory in front of empty seats.
Nees admitted they won ugly, but when asked what his team needed to bring more life to their game, he hinted that Monday’s game could be different as supporters will be allowed in.
With the venue easily accessible to Zimbabweans, the Warriors will not be short of decent backing.
“We need support definitely,” he said.
“It’s very difficult for any professional player or any other professional who performs in front of the public maybe in arts; you want spectators.
“It’s way better than playing in an empty stadium. It felt like Covid times, very simple and I think nobody enjoyed it that time.
“We need the spectators, even if they are critical, even if they are against us then we want to change them and turn them around that we play in the way that they are cheering the players and that they are for us.
“Spectators are needed, otherwise football will become boring,” said Nees.
The Warriors coach, however, will be monitoring goal scorer Billiat who is battling to get to 100 percent fitness after over-stretching a hamstring muscle during club football recently.
Skipper Marvelous Nakamba, who was given 75 minutes, is also being monitored after recovering from a long term injury recently.
Zimbabwe are now second on the log standings with five points, with Cameroon leading Group J after beating visiting Kenya last night to take their tally to seven points.
The Namibians, who remain the only team yet to pick a point in the group, will be busy this weekend plotting how they can turn the tables.
Their coach Collin Benjamin told journalists that they will review the performance against the Warriors and try to find ways to solve their scoring woes.
The Brave Warriors wasted a number of chances against Zimbabwe despite looking the better side in terms of the match statistics.
The Namibians reached the last 16 of the previous AFCON finals and they need victory on Monday to keep their chances alive.
Benjamin is optimistic of his young team ahead of Monday’s return leg. The Namibians are working on strategies to sharpen their strikforce.
Benjamin also has to find a way to unlock value from their skipper Peter Shalulile, who has not scored for the Brave Warriors in over a year.
“We never spoke about the chances of AFCON but with us, with the transition that we are undergoing now, it’s for us to have good games, to have positive results so that we can grow these young boys that we are trying to integrate into the team.
“The table doesn’t lie that we are stuck there at the bottom of the log with zero points but for us now is to analyse this game and to see what it is that we can do better?
“What other mistakes that we did and try to minimise them and prepare a strategy how we are going to take on the Warriors of Zimbabwe on Monday,” said Benjamin.
Online Reporter