Otniel Hembapu
Windhoek – Rundu Chiefs, Young Chiefs and Chiefs Santos yesterday fell prey to the ruthless relegation axe of the MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL) when all three clubs were relegated to the first division on a melodramatic final day of the 2017/18 season of the country’s flagship football league.
First to kiss top-tier football goodbye were Tsumeb-based outfit Chiefs Santos, who endured a horrific return to the premier league, managing to only win three of their thirty league outings this season. Santos’ quick return to first division football was capped off with a 2-1 defeat against Citizens, which followed Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing against Unam FC.
Oshakati side Young Chiefs also made a quick return to second-tier football, following yesterday’s 2-1 defeat against Unam FC, despite having recorded a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Citizens earlier on Saturday.
Rundu Chiefs yesterday concluded the line-up of returnees to second-tier football, with the Rundu-based club suffering an embarrassing 7-1 defeat against Black Africa on the final day of the league in yesterday’s action. Rundu Chiefs drew 1-all with Young African on Saturday.
African Stars, who were crowned 2017/18 league champions, lost 0-1 to Eleven Arrows on Saturday but managed to bounce back beating Blue Waters 3-0 in yesterday’s action. Stars finished with 64 points, followed by Black Africa in second place with 55 points and Mighty Gunners in third place with 54 points from their 30 league matches. Unam capped off a perfect season by finishing within the top four with 48 points.
Coastal giants Blue Waters, who this season only recorded eight wins from thirty games, miraculously survived relegation as they finished narrowly above the relegation zone with 32 points, which allowed them to elbow Young Chiefs into the shark-infested waters of the relegation zone as Chiefs finished third from bottom with 31 points.
No teams have yet been promoted from the three Nationwide First Division (NFD) streams, which are the Southern Stream First Division, North East First Division and North West First Division, as activities in all three streams are still dormant and the immediate future of Namibia’s second-tier football is still uncertain.
Full Weekend Results
Saturday, 5 May
African Stars 0-1 Eleven Arrows
Life Fighters 1-0 Tura Magic
Orlando Pirates 3-1 Tigers
Black Africa 0-3 Mighty Gunners
Young Chiefs 2-0 Citizens
Chiefs Santos 1-4 Unam
Civics 3-0 Blue Waters
Young African 1-1 Rundu Chiefs
Sunday, 6 May
Young African 0-1 Mighty Gunners
African Stars 3-0 Blue Waters
Life Fighters 0-4 Tigers
Orlando Pirates 2-1 Tura Magic
Black Africa 7-1 Rundu Chiefs
Young Chiefs 1-2 Unam
Chiefs Santos 1-2 Citizens
Civics 1-2 Eleven Arrows