Homeless Namibia yearning for crowd push ahead of Tunisia

The Brave Warriors were held to a goalless draw by Liberia at the same venue on Wednesday and the silence inside reminded the coach just how much of a game-changer their fans would have been.

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According to Benjamin, this evening’s encounter against Tunisia gives the visitors a big advantage with the atmosphere perhaps in their favour.

''Truth has to be told, and truth is that football is a game of emotions and passion. We play a game like this where there is nobody. There's certain influences that you as a coach can do, substitutions, team talk, positions, tactics but there's certain elements that the players need and these players are supposed to be in colosseums,'' said Benjamin.

Namibia aren’t the only African side forced to play their qualifiers away from home with FIFA and CAF clamping down on poor and unfit facilities.  

Benjamin argues their situation is still abnormal.  

''They have to be pushed by the people, they have to be pushed by the crowd and that's how they excel, that's why the top players actually when they leave this colosseum they feel like they have lost something. I'm not going to talk it away and say it's normal, it's abnormal,'' added Benjamin.

The Brave Warriors can go top of Group H if they win against Tunisia – so even with the venue being a challenge, Benjamin knows the expectations.

''But all I am saying is that football is really a game of passion and emotions, of course with Tunisia it is going to be an advantage and yes they are also a good team, but for us this is what we have and we will work with it,'' he concluded.

Benjamin handed debuts to a few inexperienced players in the stalemate against Liberia, but could look for more stability when they face a more mature Tunisia outfit.