Togo will target a home victory in Group H of the 2022 World Cup qualifier when they host Namibia in Lome on Sunday afternoon. The match will be staged at the Stade de Kegue, kick-off at 16h00 GMT.
The Sparrow Hawks got off to a losing start after going down 2-0 to group favorites Senegal in Thies on Wednesday.
Paulo Duarte’s charges fell to goals by Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Abdou Diallo, who turns for French-Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite the loss, Duarte firmly believes his charges did the best they could against Senegal who have a better quality of players in all departments.
“We defended well,” said the Sparrow Hawks coach. “The current Togo is different, there is a lot of work to be done.
“The players applied the instructions well [against Senegal] but they lacked speed in the ball exits,” he added.
Namibia, meanwhile, opened their campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Congo, with Charles Hambira scoring the lone goal for the Brave Warriors before Guy Mbenza grabbed an equalizer in second half.
Brave Warriors coach Bobby Samaria was satisfied with the draw and added that they would take the lessons learned against Congo and plan forward.
“The first game is always crucial and we take the lessons from this game and we take them forward. Togo will want a positive result and we are equally determined. It was the first match and anything can happen still in this group. We have to keep the momentum. Senegal can still lose and the grouping can change,” said Samaria.
Togo and Namibia have clashed 6 times in official international matches, according to FIFA statistics. The Sparrow Hawks have claimed four wins compared to two for Brave Warriors.
Congo will play Senegal in the other Group H match in Brazzaville on Tuesday evening, kick-off at 16h00 GMT.
