National senior football team coach Collin Benjamin said gone are the days when teams were regarded as easy opponents, as every team now prepares well ahead of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA).

In an interview with Nampa on Friday, Benjamin said he has been preoccupied with preparations for the competition and is not aware of which players were selected by their opponents.

“If you look at teams like Zambia who are always tournament favourites they come with strong teams but Comoros whom everyone thought was not that strong, has improved and even our opponent Madagascar is a very strong team now despite losing two of their African Nations Cup qualifiers matches against Ghana last month,” he said.

Benjamin added that the upcoming Cosafa cup will be used to access youthful players and at the same time see how to grow the team.

“Each player that gets a chance and I believe all of them will get a chance to play, should give it their all when in the field. We expect the principles of aggressiveness and being organised from them because if we can do this then we can do better in the field of play,” he said.

On Thursday Benjamin announced his 23-man Cosafa squad which will travel to Pretoria, South Africa on Saturday, for a one-week training session before heading off to Durban to compete against Madagascar in the quarterfinals of the competition.

The selected players are Goalkeepers: Kamaijanda Ndisiro, Edward Maova, and Mbemutjiua Mata.

Defenders: Aprocius Petrus, Denzil Haoseb, Charles Hambira, Ivan Kamberipa, Tuli Ngenovali Nashixwa, Kennedy Amutenya.

Midfielders: Marcel Papama, Wesley Katjiteo, Dynamo Fredericks, Immanuel Heita, Ngero Katua, Tjipenandjambi Karuuombe, Prinz Tjiueza, Steven Damaseb, Uetuuru Kambato, Wendel Rudath, Amseb Salomon, Absalom Iimbondi.

Forwards: Bethuel Muzeu, Lionell Routh, Godwin Eiseb.

Source: The Namibian press Agency