Nkurenkuru
Western Stars Football Club rewrote the history books when the team from Mankete village clinched the coveted Kavango West Second Division league title hands down.
Stars’ unbeaten run in the just ended league campaign saw them accumulate an amazing 62 points from a possible 66, courtesy of 20 wins and two draws against fierce title rivals Young Western Fighters FC and MK City respectively. Both matches ended in 1-all stalemates.
Nkurenkuru outfit Chief Sitentu FC finished runner-up – seven points off the pace with the league new boys Young Western Fighters from Tondoro village adrift in third place with 38 points, while Hamalevi (36) and Nankudu Eleven (35) finished in 4th and 5th positions on the log table.
At the other end of the log standings, both EKC from Erago village and Sivara Seven Stars were relegated to the lower division.
KRC Western Stars’ victory sees them gaining a well-deserved place for the promotion playoffs for a place in the Northern East Stream First Division.
It was the second season for the Kavango West Division Two League, which has been divorced from the former Kavango Regional League.
Although the quality of football in this neck of the woods has improved tremendously, the league is still experiencing a lot of challenges, ranging from inadequate funding to a horde of other hiccups.
Financially crippled teams such as EKC, Sivara Seven Stars and Nankudu Eleven were compelled to give up points as a result of failing to honour their league fixtures because of insufficient funds to cater for transportation.
This practice has compelled the league committee to send out an SOS to potential sponsors in the region and from elsewhere to come on board and assist the league with funds for administration.
“It’s our sincere wish to see the league growing from strength to strength but this can only be achieved through sponsorships. As it stands, we rely heavily on the small budget from the NFA for all the league activities but this budget is very little and cannot sustain our activities,” reads a statement for the league.
Another handicap is the lack of proper recreational facilities in the area. “We have a very big challenge on our hands in the absence of sports facilities, notably football pitches in the region.”
Currently, there are no proper football fields in the region, let alone lawn pitches. All football pitches in the region are sub-standard, laden with piles of sand, which make it very difficult for the players to control the ball.
“In this regard, we are pleading with the government, in particular the portfolio ministry to start considering the construction of proper sports facilities in Kavango West Region.”
League authorities also called on the country’s football governing body to assist with trained match officials as a matter of urgency.
“We would like to urge youths in Kavango West, who are interested in becoming referees, to contact the league’s chairperson so that they can be taken through the ropes if they are to become NFA-accredited referees.”
In the same breath, league administrators called on the NFA to introduce training programmes for match officials, administrators, team managers, fitness trainers and coaches.
“As a new region, we are in dire need of capacity and the league committee alone cannot to do this on its own since there are no funds to conduct training programmes.”
The league is asking good Samaritans for financial assistance.
Interested parties and donors are humbly requested to contact the league’s chairman Earnest Joy @0812973681 email: earnestjoy62@yahoo.com or PRO Egidio Nambara @0811701231 email: enambara@gmail.com for any kind of offered sponsorship.