Football

The Namibian Under 20 women’s team will take on the visiting Westphalia Regional team before and during the annual regional youth competition, the Namibia Newspaper Cup which takes place at Otjiwarongo during the Easter break.

According to the head coach of the Namibian women’s team Jacqueline Shipanga, the visiting German side will arrive in Windhoek on 22 March, while the two sides will play two games in Windhoek before the final one in Otjiwarongo as part of the annual Newspaper cup program’s women’s football section.

Black Africa coach Brian Isaacs expressed satisfaction with their 2-0 victory against Eleven Arrows on Saturday, which saw them going six points clear at the top of the log.

“The performance was excellent - we played controlled football and were in control of the game. In the first half we missed a lot of chances, but in the second half we got our composure back and scored two goals, so I’m very happy with the performance,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs however added that there were still tough games ahead.

Brave Warriors coach Bernard Kaanjuka has named a 24-man squad, including 10 foreign-based players, for the upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Malawi, which takes place in Windhoek on March 23.

The squad sees the return of Hansa Rostok midfielder Manfred Starke, Blue Waters midfielder Hendrik Somaeb and Tigers striker Pinias Jacob.

Starke and Jacob last played for Namibia in a friendly against Rwanda in October 2012, while Somaeb last played for the Brave Warriors in an AFCON qualifier against Liberia in June last year.

Black Africa regained their six-point lead over African Stars after beating Eleven Arrows 2-0 on Saturday evening.

Stars had closed the gap to three points after beating SKW 4-2 on Friday night, but BA were in uncompromising mood as two second goals by Eslin Kamuhanga gave them the win.

BA wasted numerous chances in the first half, but Kamuhanga opened the scoring, slamming home a cross by Willy Stephanus midway through the second half.

With 5 minutes remaining BA won a penalty for a foul in the box and Kamuhanga slotted home to ensure their victory.

African Stars beat SKW 4-2 in an exciting Premier League match on Friday night to close the gap to three points on log leaders Black Africa.

After a goalless first half the match sprang into life after the break when Riaan Cloete put Stars ahead after a throughpass by Jamu Ngatjizeko.

Deon Kavendji added Stars’ second goal while Cloete made it 3-0 from the penalty spot.

SKW however struck back with two goals in two minutes by Festus Scheepers and Mike Sinvula, but Stars had the last say when William Chilufya scored from a long pass to make the final score 4-2.

Namibian soccer legend Collin Benjamin will turn out for Global United Football Club against a Coastal All Stars team in Walvis Bay on March 20.

Benjamin will join the team of soccer legends from all over the world which promotes awareness about the environment and the important aspect of preservation which includes recycling.

FNB Namibia has teamed up with Global United and last week announced a sponsorship of N$350 000 for the event.

Harald Hecht of Global United in Namibia explained:

In yet another milestone for Namibia football in 2013, the NFA and mining giant Scorpion Zinc on Thursday announced a sponsorship deal worth N$1,3 million.

At a event that was held at the Safari Hotel in Windhoek, Scorpion Zinc mine announced that they have reached an agreement with the Namibia Football Association (NFA) to foster football development for a period of three years.

The deal worth N$1,3 million will see the first edition of the Scorpion Zinc U/17 Cup held at Keetmanshoop from 19 to 22 April, 2013.

With the Brave Warriors to host Malawi on 23 March, the local-based Warriors this week underwent biokinetic testing at the NFA Technical Centre.

According to the acting head coach of the Brave Warriors Bernard Kaanjuka, 21 local players underwent the test on Tuesday and Wednesday at the NFA Technical Centre to detect any injuries and allow the technical team to make informed decisions on their inclusion for future national team duties.

Ramblers got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win against Civics on Wednesday night.

Alfred Karamata scored the only goal midway through the first half and although Civics attacked constantly in the final stages, Ramblers’ defence stood firm.

The win temporarily puts Ramblers into fourth place while Civics remain sixth on the log.

Here is the Live Commentary of the match:

21:51
The whistle goes Ramblers win 1-0

21:46
Civics try some long balls but cant get through

21:39
Shikokola shot saved

The top teams avoided each other when the quarterfinal draw for the Bidvest Cup competition was made on Tuesday morning.

African Stars will face first division side Hotspurs, while Orlando Pirates will face Premier League strugglers Rundu Chiefs.

In another all-Premier League encounter, Blue Waters will face Mighty Gunners, while African Lions will face United Stars in an all-First Division encounter.