Gladiators to take on Tanzania

Submitted by mediaofficer on Wed, 2012-01-25 09:27

The Brave Gladiators will have it all to do when they take on Tanzania on Saturday in Dar es Salaam in their African Women Championship qualifiers second leg.

The Gladiators are trailing 2-0 after the first leg match played on 14 January 2012 in Windhoek and will have it all to do in Tanzania this weekend.

Gladiators coach Jacqueline Shipanga said the team will includes a lot of youngsters for the encounter at Tanzania as the NFA women desk looks ahead to FIFA’s Women U-20 and U-17 World Cup qualifiers to be played next month.

“ we still have changes and all to play for in the Fifa world cup qualifiers with the under-17 taking a one-all draw to South Africa on February 4 and the under 20s to play Ghana on February 18 so we have includes a lot of youngsters for them to gain the much needed experience” Shipanga said.

This move, Shipanga explains does not mean that they have given up hope on the Tanzania fixture: “not at all. we remain positive and will go there and play for a good favorable result and anything can happen in football”.

She is too not oblivious to the facts: “we made it hard for ourselves by losing at home and it will be very tough for us to win there. They are a strong side, but nevertheless we will go and there and play. Anything can happen” said Shipanga.

The team leaves for Dar es Salaam on Friday and will have new captain in form of German-based defender Mamie Kasaona, who replaces Queen Manga.

“Queen remains part of the team but we felt it was about time we change the captains and Mamie is ideal for the job. It will be transitional period that will be monitored very well and advised well to ensure that she succeeds in her new role as captain”, explained Shipanga.

Some of the youngsters in the team includes Under-17 stars captain Lovisa Mulunga and Emma Naris and players such as Lena Noreses and Veweziwa Kotjipati. Naris will however not the trip to Tanzania due to an ankle injury.

The 18 travelling players are as follows:

Susanna Eises , Mammie Kasaona , Mangulukeni Hamata, Lovisa Mulunga, Queen Manga, Lena Noreses, Stacey Naris, Veweziwa Kotjipati, Esther Amukwaya , Tomalina Adams, Bonita, Eixas, Alberta Dawes, Mariana Gaebusi, Lorraine Jossob, Emmerencia Fredericks, Shirley Cloete, Juliana Skrywer and Novata Paulus.