Namibia: Isaacs’s Job Future Uncertain

Sheefeni Nikodemus

29 March 2011

Brian Isaacs’s stint as Brave Warriors coach may be over following the team’s 0-4 hammering in Burkina Faso on Saturday.

According to NFA Secretary General Barry Rukoro, the Burkina Faso match was paramount to Isaacs’s aspirations as permanent national team coach, hinting that Isaacs’s time is up.

“For me it was about the result in Burkina Faso,” said Rukoro yesterday. “The result in that match decides the way forward for the football association.”

Isaacs – who inherited the lacklustre side from Belgian Tom Saintfiet towards the end of last year – was tasked with salvaging their Afcon 2012 dream, but a second loss in as many games in the three-team Group F has effectively ended any hopes they had of making it to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The Brave Warriors lost their first match 3-1 away to Gambia, a result which prompted Saintfiet to jump ship and the Namibia Football Association to appoint Isaacs as interim coach for the remainder of the campaign and possibly beyond.

Isaacs also suffered defeat in his first match in charge, 1-2 at home to Malawi, and managed a 1-1 draw against Botswana over a week ago.

“When Brian (Isaacs) was appointed, he was given three matches of the qualification of the team for the Nations Cup.

“The result in Burkina Faso was paramount. As an association we are duty bound to take a critical look of the situation and make decisions on the way forward.”

Rukoro’s comments suggest that Isaacs will remain in his current capacity for the home legs against Burkina Faso on June 6 and Gambia on October 8 only

“It would do him a world of good if he wins the remaining matches.”

Rukoro further said that the NFA did not want to “make people feel uneasy” but said that the entire national team will have to be revamped with new personnel in a bid to turn them into a formidable unit.

“We have been talking about it,” said Rukoro. “It’s not only the coach’s position but also the playing personnel.”

He said that the bulk of the current under-23 side have been earmarked to make the step up to the senior team in the near future.

“We have invested a lot of money in these boys. Those with the right talent and mentality will be pushed.”

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