Zebaldt Ngaruka
Black Africa (BA) vice chairperson Sylvester ‘Lolo’ Goraseb has reaffirmed the club’s determination to maintain its place in the Southern Stream First Division League (SSFDL), as the legendary outfit continues its battle for survival this season.
Speaking to New Era Sport following a crucial weekend, Goraseb said the club’s immediate focus is to avoid relegation and work toward returning to the Namibia Premier Football League next season. Over the weekend, BA climbed two spots on the SSFDL table after securing a vital 1-0 win over Oranjemund FC in Rehoboth and drawing 1-1 with Date Eleven FC.
The club now occupies 9th position on the table with 11 points from 17 games. They are narrowly ahead of Oranjemund FC (10 points from 16 matches) and Latinos FC (9 points from 17 matches), who sit in 10th and 11th positions, respectively.
“The entire BA family—from the executive committee to the players and supporters—is fully united behind the mission of retaining our spot in the SSFDL. Survival is our top priority,” said Goraseb.
He further explained the challenges the team has faced throughout the season, citing that 90% of their players are employed and only available for training after 18h00.
“To make matters worse, most of the available training grounds in Windhoek lack floodlights, which affects the quality of training sessions,” he added.
Despite the difficulties, Goraseb – himself a decorated former BA player—remains confident the team will persevere. “We have three games left, and our goal is to collect maximum points. We are committed to fighting till the final whistle. Once we secure our status, we will regroup and aim for promotion next season.”
The vice chairperson also revealed that the club is in discussions with potential sponsors who are ready to invest, but only if BA avoids relegation. “If we survive, we could see a major transformation that could revive the legacy of this great club.”
According to league rules, the two bottom-placed teams in the SSFDL will be relegated at the end of the season. They will be replaced by three new teams – two from the premier league and one from the second division. The SSFDL champion will automatically gain promotion to the top tier.
BA’s remaining fixtures are against Mariental FC, Try Again, and Ramblers FC.
-zngaruka@yahoo.com