WINDHOEK – After successfully steering Katutura giants African Stars to a cup double and second place league finish last season, newly appointed Orlando Pirates coach Ali Akan will tomorrow face an acid test of character in his quest to get his coaching term off to a good start with the Buccaneers.
Pirates will confront the fast-improving Tura Magic in of the semi-finals of the 2nd edition of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) League Cup, at the Kuisebmund Stadium in Walvis Bay tomorrow afternoon at 15h00. In all likelihood, tomorrow’s game will produce authentic fireworks since both coaches are newly appointed and will be eager to prove which team has more ammunition in their young and formidable squads. Pirates will no doubt be expected to be effective in all departments, given their young and determined squad that will be playing under the watchful eye of the highly experienced Akan. With the League Cup already proving to be the ideal pre-season booster for most teams, Pirates will definitely be looking to demonstrate to its fans that they are still a force to be reckoned with in domestic football and serious title contenders in the upcoming NPL elite league football season.
Needless to say, Tura Magic also have a lot resting on their shoulders and can be expected to throw everything in the way of Pirates, if they are to make history by reaching the final of the League Cup for the first time, which will give their supporters something to be proud of. In the second semi-final, Civics who are equally determined to redeem themselves following seasons of lukewarm performance in the country’s top flight league, will be facing pressure from Eleven Arrows who will be playing at their favourite hunting ground, the Kuisebmund Stadium at 17h00, also tomorrow. With the arrival of the much-fancied Christy Guruseb, Civics could finally find the form they once possessed. There is no doubt that tomorrow’s game is bound to be a perfect test of Guruseb’s coaching ability.
By Otniel Hembapu