Aili Iilonga
NAMIBIAN-born star, Ryan Nyambe, who plays for the English championship side Blackburn Rovers as a defender, has finally availed himself for his country after announcing that he will join the Brave Warriors squad for the AFCON 2019.
Nyambe has over the years been dealing with media and public scrutiny over his availability to play for his birth country.
during the pre season football match between Morecambe and Blackburn Rovers at the globe arena morecambe on saturday 16th july 2016. Photo Contributed
“I am pleased to finally join the family. It has always been coming. I have been thinking about it for a while and now I am ready and rearing to go. I feel honoured to play for my country and excited to meet the squad soon,” he said.
He added that fans should expect him to give his all in every game.
“Hopefully I can have a positive impact that will help the team succeed. I would bring to the team the ability to defend and energy as a full back,” explained Nyambe
Head coach, Ricardo Mannetti, confirmed Nyambe’s participation, stating that he is glad the player decided to join the squad and hopes that he can add depth to the team.
“I have been following his career and I have been a big fan. Finally, he has agreed to play for his country. It is the biggest dream for any player to don their national colours and I am happy that he has decided to do so now. Going to AFCON, we need all the players we can get and he is surely a player of a different dimension. I had a lot of conversations with him and it’s clear that he weighed his options carefully,” he said.
The coach believes that the right-back will add “tremendous value” to the team at the AFCON finals, given his pedigree and fine form during his sudden rise in the game.
Nyambe made his Rovers academy debut in the 2014–15 season and progressed through the Academy system and into the development squad.
He made his first team debut in the Football League Cup against Shrewsbury Town.
Earlier this month, Nyambe agreed a new contract to keep him at Eastwood Park until 2021 and has so far made 97 first-team appearances for the team.
He joined Blackburn’s academy at the age of 13 and made his senior debut four years later.
The Brave Warriors are in Group D at the 2019 AFCON games that will be hosted by Egypt and will play Morocco on 23 June before taking on South Africa on 28 June, both at Al Salam Stadium. They will play the final group game against Ivory Coast on 1 July at Cairo International Stadium.
