Haukongo not in Brave Warriors squad
• By Michael Uugwanga
BRAVE Warriors mentor Bobby Samaria has given the reason as to why he has not included new Chippa United captain and 20-year-old defender Lubeni Haukongo in his provisional squad of 28 players that will be in camp ahead of their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Senegal in the double header.
Haukongo a product of coastal giant club Eleven Arrows of Walvis Bay, joined the South African DSTV Premiership outfit Chippa from French club LOSC Lille B this season due to limited game time in France, due to injuries.
Haukongo, who does not have international experience, was surprisingly made captain at Chippa – a side languishing in 14th place on the log with four points from five matches.
Speaking to Confidente Sport, Samaria who this week started training with the local-based players that have been called-up, said that Haukongo was previously called-up for national duties against Congo and Togo in the previous qualifiers early this month.
“No stress, we called him (Haukongo) up for the Congo and Togo games but his coach reckoned he was still very unfit to join us. We have agreed that his team would give us an update as we go along,” said Samaria.
Another player that was surprisingly not included in the squad is defender Kennedy Amutenya, formerly of Tigers, Gaborone United (Botswana) and now on the books of South African outfit Cape Town Spurs in the First division.
“Kennedy (Amutenya) is on my radar,” Samaria said.
The fast-tracked 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to Covid-19 will resume again in October as the Brave Warriors visit group favorites Senegal, on October 7 and host them in Soweto on October 10.
After Senegal, the national team will be visiting Congo Brazzaville, before hosting Togo in South Africa, with the group action concluding on November 13 to16.
The Brave Warriors are in group H on four points, while Senegal is topping the group with six points from two matches.
Congo has one point, while Togo is still searching for their first points in the qualifiers.
The winners of each group will advance to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 18 2022.
Brave Warriors provisional squad:
Goalkeepers: Calvyn Spiegel, Kamaijanda Ndisiro, Lodyt Kazapua, Maximilian Mbaeva, and Virgil Vries
Defenders: Ryan Nyambe, Riaan Hanamub, Ivan Kamberipa, Gebhardt Ananias, Larry Horaeb, Teberius Lombardt, Approcius Petrus, Denzil Haoseb, Charles Hambira and Immanuel Heita
Midfielders: Dynamo Fredericks, Alfeus Handura, Deon Hotto, Absalom Iimbondi, Wesley Katjiteo, Marcel Papama, Prins Tjiueza and Willy Stephanus
Forwards: Elmo Kambindu, Issaskar Gurirab, Peter Shalulile, Joslin Kamatuka, Benson Shilongo.