WINDHOEK – There were mixed fortunes for the Namibian foreign legion plying their trade in the stinking-rich South African Professional Soccer League (PSL) where Namibian footballers have found refuge in recent years.
Brave Warriors inspirational captain, Stigga Ketjijere, became only the second Namibian footballer behind Mohammed Ouseb (Kaizer Chiefs) to wear the skipper armband in the highly rated PSL.
The former African Stars midfield general led his club University of Pretoria (Amatuks) against local rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in the opening round of the lucrative Telkom knockout cup at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Amatuks number-24 played a blinder in the heart of his team’s engine room keeping Downs’ danger man, Teko Modise in check. Unfortunately, he could not prevent his side from going down 2-1 in extra time. Elsewhere, veteran striker Henrico Botes came off the substitutes’ bench late in the 2nd half in Bidvest Wits University’s 3-0 victory Morokka Swallows.
In other action, resurgent shot-stopper Virgil Vries, was stationed between the sticks for his club’s Maritzburg United 1-0 defeat against Kaizer Chiefs and made a number of breathtaking saves to keep the score line respectable and could have easily walked away with the man of the match award, which strangely went to Chiefs rookie fullback Kgotso Moleko.
Burly defender Dacosta Angula played a blinder in the heart of Free State Stars rearguard despite his team suffering a 1-0 loss against the rejuvenated Super Sports United.
Lanky centre back Dudes Mwedihanga ended on the winning side when Amazulu edged past Heini Isaacs’ Bloemfontein Celtic 3-2 – erasing a 2-goal deficit to claim a rare win after a sluggish start to their league campaign. Isaacs was an unused substitute.