Namibia Scouting Report

7th September 2015
Written by:
Mattar M’Boge
NAMIBIA National Team
Analysis Report

© Copyright M A MBOGE (author) September 2015 2
Namibia – Senegal
Matchday 2 – AFCON Qualifying GROUP K – 05.09.15 Analysis of formation, style, trends, shape, strengths, weaknesses
Team analysed: NAMIBIA
Final Score: 0-2
Starting Lineup Typical Movements
System: Ricardo Mannetti used a
mix of a 1-4-4-1-1 and 1-4-4-2
formation, which featured two
offensive wingers supporting a
striker and playmaker. The team
retreated to a 1-4-5-1 without the
ball.
Squad: Mannetti relies on players who predominantly
play in the PSL in South Africa as well as a mixture of
some experienced home-based players. The team is
built around the captain Ronald KETJIJERE who
provides authority and dominance as a defensive
midfielder with the attacking impetus provided by the
likes of Dean HOTTO, Peter SHALULILE and Benson
SHILONGO when he is available.
Style of Play: Emphasis is on direct play up to
centre-forward, wing-play and quick transition from
defense to attack. They have a very dangerous
forward in SHILONGO who gets the goals and he is
usually supplied by the speedy winger Deon HOTTO
who is another goal threat. At the heart of the team’s
creativity and chances is midfielder Peter SHALULILE
who is able to play on the left, just behind the striker
and as a makeshift forward in this game. There is good
balance in midfield with Wangu GOME and KETJIJERE
comfortable on the ball. The team has plenty of pace
on both wings and they look to exploit the flanks
through quick counter-attacks. Against Senegal, Peter
SHALULILE was deployed as the target man but he
doesn’t have the physical presence and aerial ability of
SHILONGO and so was less effective.

General approach play in possession
Against Senegal, Namibia played a mixture of possession as well as a very direct game,
with the defenders and goalkeeper happy to play the ball long to the lone forward, with
supporting players picking up the second balls. The alternative was to play the ball in the
space in front of the wingers to chase. They found it difficult to keep hold of possession
when they played this so spent the majority of the match trying to build up from the back
and through the thirds, particularly as Senegal retreated behind the ball.
Striker Peter SHALULILE or left winger Deon HOTTO were the main reference points
when they attacked. They have a number of players who are comfortable in possession,
particularly SHALULILE, Wangu GOME and the captain Ronald KETJIJERE. Once they
establish good possession in midfield, they work the ball out wide for the wingers to
provide crosses, particularly HOTTO. HOTTO is also their quickest player but he uses
his speed off the ball rather than in the dribble, so he will knock the ball past his
opponents and chase after it. HOTTO and SHATEMBI will change wings.
When they needed a goal they kept patient with possession but also sent the ball forward
in a much more direct manner. This is much more effective with SHILONGO in the line-
up because of his physical presence. Usually, ISAACKS or SHALULILE work behind the
main striker and both are very good in reading the second balls.
Strengths
 Comfortable in possession, can play through the thirds
 Able to play patient football even when under pressure
 Lively wingers with good touches and speed to get in behind
Areas to exploit
 Centre-backs not comfortable on the ball, especially when under
pressure
 Ball can get delayed and slow in the middle third of the field
 Lack of numbers around target man when playing direct
As shown above, when building from the back, the goalkeeper
VRIES misses out his centre-backs and will prefer to play out to
the full-backs.
Midfield flexibility – KETJIJERE (12) is the player that usually collects the ball from the
defence but the midfield has good rotation which allows them all to get on the ball. They have
good movement and ball control in the middle third of the pitch but the final ball is often lacking
the quality to cut through defences. GOME (10) has the most creativity in the middle but his
lack of physical strength means that he can be outmuscled in the tackle. ISAACKS (7) is able to
drop deep to get the ball and often forms a triangle with the other two midfielders in order to
move the ball to the wide areas (see below). HOTTO (11) and SHITEMBI (6) will stay out wide
and wait for the ball to come to them.

Attacking transitions
The team get forward very quickly when they win the ball and is a key feature of their play. They possess speed on the flanks and at full-back, so these are the players that usually drive
forward and join the attacks. The majority of the attacking transitions went down the left hand side with HOTTO (11) and GEBHARDT (3) breaking quickly, whilst SHALULIE (12) will
hold his position in the middle of the pitch and ISAACKS (7) would try to get to the far post for crosses (see below).
The team will look to play into the wide channels and attack quickly once the ball is regained with the alternative being a direct ball up to target-man to hold up the ball and bring others
into play.
The attacking transitions in the away game against Niger in their previous away game, were much quicker than at home because they were afforded more space to counter-attack.
Their best chance of the game came from a quick counter-attack that found SHALULILE (13) with a shot that hit the woodwork after 30 minutes. The Senegal defenders became much
more cautious after this and held their position.
Strengths
 Rapid transition on the counter-attack, especially on the
flanks
 Speedy wingers able to beat their markers with pace
 Striker movement to attack crosses
Areas to exploit
 Full-backs eager to join attack at every opportunity
 Wingers are out of the game and full-backs are out of
position if the opposition manages to win the ball back
early – counter the counter-attack

General approach play out of possession
When they don’t have the ball, SHALULILE (13) or ISAACKS (7) will drop and form a five- man midfield with KETJIJERE (12) taking a position just in front of the back four. As a result
they can be difficult to break down, particularly in games away from home. However, HOTTO doesn’t assume his defensive responsibilities very well and can hold back in making
challenges which gives space for the opposition to attack.
After they conceded a goal in the first half they were more urgent in applying pressure and pressing to win the ball back. They tried to get numbers around the ball but they weren’t
able to sustain this pressure in the second half.
KETJIJERE is the main ball winner and he will look to win the ball once the opposition come into his zone, while GOME is not strong in the tackle and this can create opportunities to
exploit.
Strengths
 Deep defensive block, difficult to break down
 Disciplined defending and positioning with KETJIJERE
(12) marshalling the backline and midfield
 Five man midfield that will look to win the ball
Areas to exploit
 Space in the wide areas, force wingers to support full-
backs
 Space in between centre-backs who aren’t the quickest
 KETJIJERE (12) is main ball winner in midfield, others
are not as aggressive as him

Defensive transitions
As soon as the team loses possession, the wide-men and support striker drop back to form a nine man defensive block with the midfield and defence to try and prevent the opposition
from building attacks. However, the wingers are usually the last to join the block as they are slow in tracking back. There are also times when the full-backs are caught very high up,
especially GEBHARDT (3) so it is difficult for them to get back in time but KETJIJERE (12) provides the covering duties when this happens. There are times when the two highest
central players will start a two-man press but will back off if they can’t get the ball back.
When they were looking for a goal when they were 0-2 down, there were five players that stayed high and didn’t track back, leaving KETJIJERE (12) as the sole covering midfielder.
Strengths
 Disciplined and hard work ethic to get in position to
defend
 Central midfielders work hard to get in position to
crowd midfield and stop opposition from playing
through the middle
 Forwards willing to start pressing and apply pressure
Areas to exploit
 The wide areas, especially when full-backs are also
caught high up with wingers
 Centre-backs exposed in big spaces, especially the gap
between midfield unit and defenders
 GOME (10) and SHALULILE (13) not aggressive when
winning the ball back

Attacking and Defending Set-plays
Attacking set-plays
The team didn’t pose a major threat at attacking set-plays as the Senegalese team was physically bigger and better than them. ISAACKS was the main taker of corners and free-kicks on
his right foot although HOTTO is another option.
SHILONGO is the designated penalty taker and his latest effort was sent to the bottom left corner (goalkeeper’s right side).
Defending set-plays
It was clear that Namibia were particularly worried about the set-piece strength of the Senegal team. When defending corners and free-kicks they sent all their men back to defend the
play. This still wasn’t effective however as Senegal scored the opening goal from a well-worked corner that they scored from the second ball after the Namibia defenders followed the
ball and didn’t stay with their men (see below).
The Senegal team were taller and more physically dominant than the players from Namibia and the team had a vulnerability at set-plays so this is a potential area to exploit.

Namibia – Senegal
Matchday 2 – AFCON Qualifying GROUP K – 05.09.15 List of playing squad, data and notes
Team analysed: NAMIBIA (system 1-4-4-2 or 1-4-4-1-1)
# Name Role Mins Cards Foot Height (cm) Weight (kg) Club Age
16 VRIES GK 90 R 182 74 Maritzburg Utd (South Africa) 24
Wasn’t forced into making too many saves but is generally an excellent shot-stopper. Didn’t help to nullify the set-piece threat from set plays as he was generally unsure when coming out
for high balls. Happy to receive ball to feet and was instructed to play long to the target man and was generally accurate with his kicks. Experienced player amongst the squad that is
relied on to organise and communicate with the back four. He has also good speed coming out from his line.
2 HAOSEB RB 90 R 173 67 Black Africa (Namibia) 28
Very comfortable on the ball and going forward as he is accurate when he plays the ball forward. He has the energy to support his wingers but both full-backs can get caught too high up to
track back properly although he is more disciplined than GEBHARDT. He is also quick on and off the ball but lacks the strength and heading ability to win for the ball in the air.
4 MWEDIHANGA RCB 90 R 190 75 University of Pretoria FC (South Africa) 29
Looked very nervous on the ball and at times couldn’t get rid of it quick enough. The passes to his right-back were comfortable enough but it was more difficult for him to pick out any
other passes, especially going forward. His lack of agility and athleticism means that he is quite slow in executing his passes but off the ball, he works very hard for the team and is the
more aggressive and physical centre-back. Very strong in the air and set-piece threat because of his height.
18 KATJIUKUA LCB 90 R 185 72 Golden Arrows (South Africa) 27
Not as disciplined or aggressive as MWEDIHANGA but is a strong player in the air because of the height he gets on his jumps. Most natural as a right-back but has gained experience
playing in the centre. Whilst he is more comfortable on the ball than his partner, he still lacks the accuracy to make effective forward passes.
3 GEBHARDT LB 90 L 178 64 Tigers (Namibia) 27
A converted winger who is very good and comfortable on the ball and going forward with good crossing ability. However, defensively he lacks the positional awareness and discipline for a

full-back and can often be caught too far away from his nearest centre-back.
6 SHITEMBI RW 90 R/L 182 68 AmaZulu FC (South Africa) 23
A fairly quick wide-man that is also good on the ball and very diligent in his defensive duties. Covers and supports his full-back well and also is a threat going forward as he can use both
feet so can go outside his man and move inside. High work ethic and forms a solid partnership on the right with HAOSEB.
12 KETJIJERE RCM 90 R/L 182 75 University of Pretoria FC (South Africa) 27
Player that leads by example and is always involved in both attacking and defensive phases. Dynamic, athletic and agile midfielder who is the platform for possession and the reference
when they don’t have the ball, a controller and a destroyer. He rarely joins the attacks and prefers to stay in front of the defense and react to any counter attacks.
10 GOME LCM 72’ R 168 62 Bidvest Wits (South Africa)
The most creative central midfielder who is another who is comfortable and confident in possession. He doesn’t have the stature to dominate physically so prefers to hunt the ball
alongside KETJIJERE. However, he can be deceptively strong because of his low gravity and can be difficult to displace off the ball as a result. Likes to get his foot on the ball and play
positive forward passes which links the possession in midfield with the players in the attacking third. Very direct runner who should have done better with a 1 v 1 chance that he created
for himself with only the goalkeeper to beat. Was taken off in order to cope with physical height and power of Senegalese in midfield.
11 HOTTO LW 90 R/L 181 67 Golden Arrows (South Africa) 23
Extremely quick player, especially on the counter-attack. He is tricky and skilful on the ball but prefers to use his speed by knocking the ball in front of him and chasing him, which is
effective for getting him past his opponents. He is also a goal threat, able to come inside and shoot on his right foot although he can also provide crosses with his left. He doesn’t like
tracking back and making tackles which mean that he can put the team in danger. His partnership with GEBHARDT was very open to attacks in this game.
7 ISAACKS ST 61’ R 176 64 Bloemfontein Celtic (South Africa) 30
Was difficult for him to make an effective contribution going forward because he was asked to drop and make a five-man midfield without the ball. This meant that he spent most of the
match trying to stay in position. With SHALULILE doing most of the pressing, ISAACKS would support and pick his moment to press as well and this was effective in the first half, as the
Senegal defenders were forced to give the ball away easily. Has a creative presence but on this occasion couldn’t play to his full potential due to the defensive responsibilities he was
assigned.
13 SHALULILE ST 90 L 184 82 Tura Magic (Namibia) 22
Not as big a physical presence as regular striker partner SHILONGO but he was very lively and energetic, especially in the first half, when he would press the Senegal centre-backs. Is a
goal threat and was unlucky to hit the woodwork in the 30th
minute. Is very confident and comfortable in possession and plays limited touches when he is in the final third. However, the
team were playing direct balls up to him and he didn’t have a chance against the taller and stronger Senegalese centre-backs. When they played to his feet the team were able to hold the
ball more and work the ball wide, with SHALULILE and ISAACKS responsible for getting into the box to get on the end of crosses.

SUBSTITUTES
8 STEPHANUS ST 61’ R 176 66 Black Africa (Namibia) 24
Very dangerous and lively player who was skilful on the ball and created some openings including a shot cleared off the line which and another that tested the opposition goalkeeper, which
will raise questions as to why he didn’t start the match. On his introduction, STEPHANUS played a free role and often found himself in space 1 v 1 with the opposition fullback but
couldn’t quite do enough to get past them. He did make some dangerous crosses and accurate passes in the final third but for good defending he was unlucky not to make much more of
an impact.
17 SOMAEB ST 72’ R 182 75 Free State Stars (South Africa) 22
Came on as another centre-forward but with little time make an impact. He was a better option for balls in the air but wasn’t able to compete with the Senegalese defenders who were
bigger and stronger than him. Should have done better with a cross that he only managed to head wide late on
Key Players vs Senegal
Deon HOTTO – dangerous on the
break, very quick acceleration
and pace on the counter
Ronald KETJIJERE – leader of
the team, reference point both
when in and out of possession
Wangu GOME – diminuitive
playmaker in the middle,
deceptively strong, composed
on the ball, intelligent passer

Absentees
The major absence from the team against Senegal was Benson SHILONGO (see left), who is the main goal threat for Namibia. He was injured before the
match so future opponents need to be aware that he is a reference point in the attack as a target man. When he is on the pitch he is the option for the
direct ball and he is strong enough and mobile enough to challenge effectively to win the knockdowns and then get away from his marker for a through
ball.
They also have several players in the squads of PSL sides in South Africa who will only make the squad if they are having game time, as stipulated by the
Head Coach. These players include:- Terdius UISEB, Striker, Orlando Pirates – Rudolf BESTER, Attacking Midfielder, Free State Stars – Larry HORAEB,
Right Back, AmaZulu FC – Theo TSOWASEB, Striker, Orlando Pirates. An important player off the bench at the COSAFA Cup was Itamunua KEIMUINE and
he is lkely to feature in future squads.
Additional Notes
Despite their most recent results, Namibia are the 2015 COSAFA Cup champions having won the
tournament that was held in South Africa in May. Their run to the final included a penalty shoot-out
defeat of Zambia and they beat Mozambique in the final 2-0 thanks to two goals from Deon HOTTO. Their
run to the final included the following results:- 0-0 draw vs Seychelles, 2-0 win vs Mauritius (SHILONGO
2), 4-1 win vs Zimbabwe (KATJIUKUA, HOTTO 2, URIKHOB), 0-0 draw, 5-4 win on penalties vs Zambia, 3-2
win vs Madagascar (SHILONGO 2, SHALULILE). A number of players were awarded individual honours
including Virgil VRIES as Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Wangu GOME as Player of the Tournament.
Both SHILONGO and HOTTO finished the tournament with four goals each. The team were praised for
their fearless attacking play and the Namibia Football Association have been voted the 2015 CAF
Association of the Year following the rebuilding and support of the team.
Head Coach MANNETTI resigned surprisingly after winning this tournament but returned to the fold to
kick-start the qualification campaign for AFCON 2017.
Critics used to label the team ‘South Africa B’ or the ‘poor man’s Bafana Bafana’ but there has been a
shift in change in football in the country and it is currently enjoying a revival despite two opening defeats
in Group K of AFCON qualifying (0-1 vs Niger, away and 0-2 vs Senegal, home).
THE END

Namibia Scouting Report

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