The 2025 Namibian Premier Football League (NPFL) kicked off in style over the weekend, delivering goals, drama and thrilling football across multiple venues.
The opening match on Friday saw Ongos FC and Unam FC share the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek. After a goalless first half, Unam’s Vjihimsa Siririka broke the deadlock in the 58th minute before Ongos equalised in the 79th minute to salvage a point.
On Saturday, Young African announced their return in emphatic fashion with a commanding 3-0 win over Tigers. Goals from Aubrey Amseb, Lethabo Raphalo and Walid Traoré secured the comfortable win for Young African. Club owner and coach Maleagi Ngarizemo praised his team’s performance.
“I believe Amseb and Traoré are two players to watch closely. Although they haven’t had much time to work together, you can already see the chemistry beginning to form.
It takes quality players to connect and understand each other so quickly, sometimes within just a day or a single training session and that’s what makes them special.
“We only started training, and there’s still a lot of work ahead. Amseb just joined the squad, so our focus now is to help the two of them build a strong partnership that can translate into goals and consistent performances for the team.”
Our goal is to perform well this season. The Confederation Cup gave us valuable experience, both on the field and financially and it has motivated us to return to continental competition. Whether it’s the CAF Champions League or the Confederation Cup, we want to qualify again next season. To achieve that, we must aim to win either the league or the national cup, and we’re determined to work hard to make that happen, said the coach.
Ngarizemo highlighted Amseb’s experience and Traoré’s growing impact, expressing confidence that the team will continue to improve as the season progresses. He also revealed that three new players from South Africa are expected to join soon, with the aim of strengthening the squad to a full roster of 30 competitive players capable of challenging for cup finals.
Elsewhere, Eleven Arrows started their campaign with a 2-1 derby victory over archrivals Blue Waters at the Jan Wilkens Stadium. Willem Pinehas and Tjitjiheiue Kurija were on target for Arrows, while Angelo Kuezi scored a stunning free-kick for Blue Waters.
In another northern clash, KK Palace continued their dominance over Eeshoke Chula Chula with a 2-1 win. Vickson Shivute and Precious Gariseb netted for KK Palace, while Michael Jonas scored Chula Chula’s consolation goal.
More league action was scheduled for yesterday afternoon as teams across the country continued their pursuit of early-season momentum in what promises to be a highly competitive campaign.