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Saintfiet introduced as new Brave Warriors coach
Posted 14th July 2008 at 11:31 PM by NamibiaSport
Updated 14th July 2008 at 11:53 PM by NamibiaSport
Updated 14th July 2008 at 11:53 PM by NamibiaSport
Tom Saintfiet was introduced as the new Brave Warriors coach at a press conference at Soccer House on Monday, July 14.
The Belgian Saintfiet said he was very happy and proud to be the new coach of Namibia and was eager to turn the team’s fortunes around.
The Brave Warriors new coach Tom Saintfiet (left) being welcomed by NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro on July 14, 2008.
“I am very happy and proud to be the new Brave Warriors coach. My first impressions are very positive. I have talked to the NFA and they are very professional to my mind. I have also met the assistant coaches Brian Isaacks and Ronnie Kanalelo and to my mind they are top coaches and I would like to cooperate further with them. Brian Isaacks is a champion after just wining the league title while Ronnie Kanalelo ha a lot of experience. Team manager Tim Isaacs has also helped me a lot and I’m very surprised by the professionalism of the NFA,” he said.
Saintfiet did not want to talk much about his past, saying there was enough of that in the media already and instead looked forward to the most immediate task, namely the Cosafa Cup competition which starts in Mpumalanga on July 19.
Namibia will compete in Group 2 where they will play the Comores Islands on July 20, Lesotho on July 22 and Malawi on July 24.
The winner of the group will meet South Africa in the quarterfinals on July 26.
“We have selected 26 players for a training squad, but we could not select all of the foreign based players because the competition is not recognised by FIFA. But this does not mean that the other players are out – all the other players will be considered for the future,” he said.
He said he expected players to give their all when playing for their country.
“What I expect is that the players must be proud to play for the Brave Warriors. Players who are not motivated to play for their country will not be selected. I want them to play with their heart and I expect 200 per cent commitment,” he said.
Saintfiet said his most important task was to try and resurrect the Brave Warriors’ faint hopes in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
“It is very early to influence the squad, but obviously we want good results. Namibia lost to Malawi in their previous encounter and although the Comores Islands and Lesotho are small teams, they will not be easy. But I will focus more on the remaining World Cup games and see if we can take that last chance. Maybe we can beat Kenya and in the last home game against Zimbabwe we must show something to the Namibian public,” he said.
Saintfiet said he had agreed to stay for an initial period of three months after which the situation would be reviewed.
“I hope to stay for a longer time. Namibia is a very beautiful country with a clean and nice capital city. Te people are very friendly so I would like to work here. I hope I can also help with the development of football in youth football and by working with club coaches, because its not one person who can bring results, but only when people work together. It will take some time, but with the people around me I have a feeling we can only succeed,” he said.
The Belgian Saintfiet said he was very happy and proud to be the new coach of Namibia and was eager to turn the team’s fortunes around.
The Brave Warriors new coach Tom Saintfiet (left) being welcomed by NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro on July 14, 2008.
“I am very happy and proud to be the new Brave Warriors coach. My first impressions are very positive. I have talked to the NFA and they are very professional to my mind. I have also met the assistant coaches Brian Isaacks and Ronnie Kanalelo and to my mind they are top coaches and I would like to cooperate further with them. Brian Isaacks is a champion after just wining the league title while Ronnie Kanalelo ha a lot of experience. Team manager Tim Isaacs has also helped me a lot and I’m very surprised by the professionalism of the NFA,” he said.
Saintfiet did not want to talk much about his past, saying there was enough of that in the media already and instead looked forward to the most immediate task, namely the Cosafa Cup competition which starts in Mpumalanga on July 19.
Namibia will compete in Group 2 where they will play the Comores Islands on July 20, Lesotho on July 22 and Malawi on July 24.
The winner of the group will meet South Africa in the quarterfinals on July 26.
“We have selected 26 players for a training squad, but we could not select all of the foreign based players because the competition is not recognised by FIFA. But this does not mean that the other players are out – all the other players will be considered for the future,” he said.
He said he expected players to give their all when playing for their country.
“What I expect is that the players must be proud to play for the Brave Warriors. Players who are not motivated to play for their country will not be selected. I want them to play with their heart and I expect 200 per cent commitment,” he said.
Saintfiet said his most important task was to try and resurrect the Brave Warriors’ faint hopes in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
“It is very early to influence the squad, but obviously we want good results. Namibia lost to Malawi in their previous encounter and although the Comores Islands and Lesotho are small teams, they will not be easy. But I will focus more on the remaining World Cup games and see if we can take that last chance. Maybe we can beat Kenya and in the last home game against Zimbabwe we must show something to the Namibian public,” he said.
Saintfiet said he had agreed to stay for an initial period of three months after which the situation would be reviewed.
“I hope to stay for a longer time. Namibia is a very beautiful country with a clean and nice capital city. Te people are very friendly so I would like to work here. I hope I can also help with the development of football in youth football and by working with club coaches, because its not one person who can bring results, but only when people work together. It will take some time, but with the people around me I have a feeling we can only succeed,” he said.
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