Football: African Nations Championship (Chan)-Mak has key to Pirates’ success |14 March 2010
Historically Seychelles and Namibia have been closely contested encounters, although there
This afternoon’s clash is important for the Pirates, who want to make it to the final stage of the African Nations Championship (Chan) in Sudan.
Dutch technical adviser Mak can make the difference for the team with his tactical mind.
He has to plot a win for the Pirates and only he knows the secret as he has learnt more about the players in his second stint here.
“Nothing’s easy. But if you work hard you reap the benefit of your hard labour,” he told Sports Nation earlier this week.
Some people only think about the result of match, but I look at the team’s behaviour.
“We almost shocked Burkina Faso at Stad Linite last year. We trailed 0-1, led 2-1 before losing 2-3. Can you believe it that Burkina Faso almost qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and held the mighty Ivory Coast to a goalless draw in the African Nations Cup in Angola?
“After losing 0-2 to Tunisia on home soil, French coach Roger Lemerre told me that Seychelles played well and that he was afraid we could have scored first and made life difficult for them.
“This shows that the team played well although they did not win the two matches. One cannot expect to achieve good results quickly,” he said.
The Dutch tactician added that teams have to train hard, instruct and practise to become consistent.
“Practice makes perfect,” he noted.
The Pirates, who are returning to action after their poor display in the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup in Zimbabwe in October last year losing 0-2 to Botswana, 1-2 to both Swaziland and Comoros under Swedish coach Richard Holmlünd, have to pull up their socks in search of a much-needed win, which would put a smile on the faces of local football fans.
It means that players selected for the match must heed the coaches’ advice and respect the game plan.
G. G.