OUTJO – Omusati Region yesterday cruised to their first ever Namibian Newspaper Cup triumph after beating an equally determined but somehow unlucky Oshikoto Region 4-3 on penalties at the Outjo sports stadium.
The two teams played out a 1-all draw and went on to extra time but neither could break the deadlock in the referee’s added time, leaving the tie to be decided on penalties. Omusati did enough to win the lottery of penalties and in the process claim the annual youth trophy for the first time in the competition’s history.
With both teams making their first ever appearance in the final of the competition, the opening half started off well with the two teams paying each other frequent visits but it was Oshikoto who enjoyed the lion’s share of proceedings in the first half, closing in with some great overlapping runs from the wings and from the middle of the park.
It didn’t take long for Oshikoto to break the deadlock. Ever-galloping striker Desmond Kharigub pounced on a loose ball and quickly buried it into the back of the net to take an early 1-0 lead heading into the changeover.
The 2nd half saw a much revamped and determined Omusati outfit creating more goal-scoring chances, while their defensive line also appeared solid and well composed. As proceedings intensified with every tick on the clock, Oshikoto’s efforts backfired when their prolific striker Kharigub was red-carded for what seemed like an innocent tackle on an Omusati defender.
With Oshikoto one man down, Omusati fully utilized their numerical advantage and their hard work finally paid off when Christopher Johannes equalised to level matters much to the delight of the the fully packed Outjo stadium.
The 1-all score remained intact until the final whistle and the teams headed into extra time but things again got worse for Oshikoto when again one of their influential players Rhonney Hangala received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle – leaving Oshikoto with no option but to marshal on with nine men on the field, but nevertheless courageously managed to drag Omusati to the dreaded penalty shootout.
In the third place play-off, two goals from Innocent Muyenga and one from defender Chihinga Haingura were enough to propel Kavango East to victory against a stubborn Oshana, winning 3-2 to finish and walk away with a handsome N$10 000. Oshana pocketed a consolation prize of N$4 000 for their efforts. Israel Shikongo and Sartiel Johannes were on target for Oshana Region.
Earlier on Sunday, Omusati cruised all the way to the final after defeating Kavango East 1-0 in the first semifinal clash of the day, while Oshikoto was made to work hard for a place in the final when they were held to a 3-all stalemate by Oshana, but eventually saw off the latter Oshana 4-3 on penalties in the second semifinal to reach the final.