In Saturday’s FNB Women Super League clash, Khomas Nampol Ladies’ title ambitions suffered an early setback after they went down 2–0 to Windhoek City in a surprise Round 2 encounter played at the HTS Stadium.
Nampol head coach Novata Paulus expressed her disappointment after the unexpected loss, acknowledging that poor discipline and not adhering to tactical instructions were costly against a well-organised Windhoek City team.
“I don’t know where to start. In training, we prepared specifically for their style of play. They don’t rely on high balls; they play the ball on the ground and move it around. That’s exactly what we trained for, but in the match, my players lost discipline. They didn’t listen to instructions, and it cost us,” said Paulus.
Paulus revealed that she had gone into the match fully expecting maximum points, especially after lessons learned from their previous outing.
“I wanted the three points. I’m very disappointed. Against the newly promoted team, we went into halftime at 0–0, and only in the second half did the players start listening, which led to goals. That performance was already concerning, but today (Saturday) we started well and still lost,” she said.
The absence of a first-choice goalkeeper also contributed to the defeat, according to the coach. “Our number one goalkeeper was not available, and we conceded silly goals. They were not good goals to concede, but at the end of the day, a goal is a goal,” said Paulus.
Despite the setback, Paulus remains confident that her side can bounce back as the season progresses. “We are working very hard. We want to win the league and challenge for the title. We are not going to sit down and feel sorry for ourselves. This is a lesson learned. We go back to the drawing board and work even harder,” she said.
Elsewhere in Round 2 action, Mighty Gunners Ladies delivered a ruthless performance, thrashing Desert Foxes 7–0 to underline their title credentials, while Mighty Angels were also held to a 1–1 stalemate by Arrows Ladies.
Julinho Athletic Ladies were forced to settle for a 1–1 draw against V-Power Ladies, with V-Power Angels captain Christofina Benjamin stressing the need for improvement in the final third.
“We just need to continue working hard and make sure we put the ball behind the net,” she said.
FC Ongos Ladies also enjoyed a positive weekend, securing a 2–0 victory over a determined and hardworking NUST Babes side in another competitive fixture. Yesterday morning, Unam Bokkies defeated Mighty Angels FC 3-1 at Uukwagula Stadium in Oshakati.
This came after they shared the spoils in a 1–1 draw on Saturday against African Stars Queens FC.
Thuba Sibanda, head coach of Unam Bokkies, mentioned that it was a great game and praised their effort for securing the points. “We knew that we needed to contain the opposition, as they are a good side and are very fit. We are happy to pick up the points, and we will build from here,” she said. Other matches slated for Sunday didn’t take place before going to print.
