DESPITE Khomas Nampol’s impressive 3-0 win over Okakarara Young Warriors, head coach Fortune Eichab remains committed to a pragmatic approach, dismissing any notions of title contention despite his team’s ascent to second place in the premier league.
Speaking after the match, Eichab was quick to commend his squad’s cohesive performance and execution of their game plan, which resulted in a resounding victory.
“It’s always a good feeling to collect maximum points,” he remarked, reflecting on their success. “We deserved it as the boys came through and executed the game plan,”
However, with Khomas Nampol trailing league leaders Stars by a mere five points after Saturday’s game, speculation has arisen regarding their potential as title contenders. Eichab wasted no time in dispelling such talk: “I believe we’ve been performing well of late, and our aim is to maintain this momentum. As for our title aspirations, I don’t see us as contenders. Our primary goal is to secure a comfortable position this season, regroup during the offseason, and strategize for the next one. I’m not certain fans perceive us as title contenders, but that’s not our focus. We’re solely focused on avoiding relegation and securing a respectable finish by the end of the season,” he explained. Nampol now have 48 points on the log after Saturday’s tie, while log leaders African Stars have 53 points from 24 matches with only six matches left to end the eason.
With only less than five matches left to be played, Eichab reaffirmed his focus on achieving the team’s primary objective: securing a top-eight finish. “We are not here to chase titles; we are here to lay the foundation for sustained success. We just want to collect points from our remaining matches, so we finish on a comfortable position,” he said.
In other matches over the weekend, Gobabis-based Young African secured maximum points with a 1-0 victory over Life Fighters while FC Ongos continued their poor form, suffering a 3-1 defeat.
Meanwhile, Mighty Gunners continued their impressive run defeating Orlando Pirates 2-1 at home. On Saturday, Young Brazilian played a 1-all draw against Julinho Sporting. Coastal team Blue Waters also had a successful outing on Saturday, clinching a 2-1 victory over Khomasdal’s Civics.
Defending champions and current league leaders African Stars claimed a narrow 1-0 victory against Chula Chula in their Saturday fixture.
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na