Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti says they will be no pushovers at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals even though they are not a household name in African football.
Namibia finished as Group K runners-up after being thrashed 4-1 by Zambia in their final qualifying match in Lusaka at the weekend.
With their only two previous appearances at Afcon finals ending at the group stages, Mannetti is already refusing to let his side be bullied at Egypt 2019 in June.
“We will be the best underdogs at the Afcon,” Mannetti told Cafonline.
“We are not saying that we are going there to beat any big team we will face in our group but we will take it one game at a time. But one should remember that even small dogs have teeth.”
While they lost to Zambia, Namibian had to thank Mozambique for drawing 2-2 with Guinea-Bissau. A win for Mozambique would have seen them qualify at the place of Namibia.
“It was not easy to play with one foot on the pitch for the players, with another and an ear away in the Guinea Bissau-Mozambique game and we got punished by Zambia for not concentrating by Zambia," said Mannetti.
The current generation of Namibia is carried by the likes of Ismaily forward Benson Shilongo, Wits University’s Deon Hotto, and Highlands Park striker Peter Shalulile.
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