Warriors set for first Comoros test today

Football
  • 3 Days Ago
The Brave Warriors are in Moroni, Comoros, where they will take to the field today for the first of two international friendlies against the island nation. The second match is scheduled for Monday.

Head coach Collin Benjamin named a 32-man preliminary squad for the two encounters but will not be on the touchline, as he is currently attending a coaching workshop in South Africa. In his absence, John Sikerete will lead the team, assisted by Marley Ngarizemo.

Benjamin expressed confidence in his chosen technical team, commending both coaches for their achievements in domestic football.

“John Sikerete has done well with Ongos FC since the team joined the Namibia Football Premier League (NPFL). He also coached the CHAN team for the qualifiers, and we believe he is more than capable of taking on the task again for the friendly encounter,” said Benjamin.

He also praised Ngarizemo’s continued impact at Young African. “Marley is doing amazing work with his Gobabis-based side. He came into the NPFL and won the FA Cup in the same year. He recently competed in the CAF Confederation Cup, and these are the kind of coaches we want to see involved in the national setup,” he added.

Benjamin said the squad was selected in consultation with both coaches, with the focus on preparing for next year’s CHAN qualifiers.

“The Warriors will be playing CHAN qualifiers next year, and we need to start preparing a team that will be ready to compete. We had a conversation and looked at the players in the league, and this is the group we came up with,” he explained.

Today’s friendly will offer valuable international experience for locally based players and an opportunity for Sikerete and Ngarizemo to assess the squad’s depth.

Comoros, meanwhile, will be led by familiar face Ibroihim Youssouf, the former African Stars striker who now captains the island nation and plays for Mochudi Centre Chiefs FC in the Botswana Premier League. Another in-form Botswana-based player, Ibroihim Djoudja, has also been called up after a standout season, a reward for his consistent performances.

Kick-off is set for later today in Moroni, with the Brave Warriors eager to make a strong statement in the first of two encounters.