Hesron Kapanga

Maurice Kambukwe 

Eeshoke Chula Chula retained the Dr Hage Geingob Cup with a 2-0 victory over African Stars at the Independence Stadium on Saturday.

In front of over 8 000 spectators, Chula Chula scored in the first half – and again in the second half, through Marselinu George and Eliakim Jackson.

The two teams, which put on an impressive display, kept the supporters entertained with exciting football on a much-improved surface at the Independence Stadium.

African Stars’ striker Willy Stephanus had a superb start to the match with impressive passes in the opening minutes of the first half, but his mobility was later restricted by the Chula Chula defence, who kept him at bay throughout both halves.

The first half ended 1-0 in favour of Eeshoke Chula Chula.

The second half saw Chula Chula scoring an early goal in the opening two minutes of the second half as they caught the African Stars’ defence flatfooted to add to their tally. 

With a goal down, Stars upped the tempo of the game, leading to them creating several scoring chances, including a missed penalty by Stephanus.

With Stars’ failure to find the back of the net, the competition’s defending champions, Chula Chula managed to hold on to claim the trophy for the second time.

 They pocketed N$300 000 in prize money as well as gold medals. 

Speaking after the match, Stars’ gaffer Ronnie Kanalelo admitted that his charges had a bad game. 

“We had a tough match. We had chances in the first half, but a lack of execution cost us. We also conceded an early goal in the second half, which affected how our players reacted on the field. We are going to go back to the drawing board, and correct where we went wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Doeseb of Chula Chula, who had a great game, shared his thoughts on the match.

 He said that heading into the game, he knew his side would come out victorious. 

“It was a great team performance. We played as a team, and got the job done together as one. It wasn’t easy beating a team like African Stars, but we had assured our coaches and management before the match that they could trust and count on us. We went on the field to win it for the entire team. I must say I am proud of myself and the team as a whole,” said the excited Doeseb

An early kick-off match between Julinho Athletics Ladies (formerly known as Girls & Goals) and First National Bank Women’s Super League champions Ongos ended 0-0. 

But Ongos dethroned their competitors from the title they won last year with a 3-1 penalty shootout win.

Meanwhile, Shama Gure, Ongos Ladies’ head coach, thanked his charges for a hard-fought victory, adding that they showed resilience as they faced an equally tough opponent. 

“I am happy with the way my charges played. We played against a team that consisted of all strong players from the league. Nevertheless, my charges stood their ground, and fought for a victory,” he said.

“The win shows how much the team has grown and the impact of women’s football in the country. We just want to thank the organisers for the opportunity. We are happy to be part of the late president’s legacy,” he added. 

The winners walked away with N$200 000, while the runner-up pocketed N$100 000.

Another match that featured on the day was the MTC Omake Celebrity Team and Namibia Breweries Danger Point Celebrity Team. 

That match ended 3-3 in regulation time. 

The MTC Omake Celebrity Team won 5-4 on penalties.