… Weekend’s hurdle is Cuca Tops
WINDHOEK – Namibia premiership reigning champions Black Africa have their machine well-oiled and ready for tomorrow’s clash against Cuca Tops as they plan to make their mark in the country’s biggest football spectacle.
BA will confront Cuca Tops at the Sam Nujoma Stadium tomorrow in one of the remaining fixtures from the round of 32 of the Bidvest Namibia Cup, with the hope of making one of their biggest impressions yet in recent years as they last won the FA Cup back in 2004.
Endorsing their Bidvest Cup ambitions is Black Africa’s tricky midfielder Bryan Bantam, who says after exiting the CAF Champions League the club have since fully shifted attention to domestic competitions such as the Bidvest Cup and also aim to successfully defend their MTC League title.
“We are now out of Africa, so our focus has shifted towards local competitions and we want to go as far as possible with the ultimate goal to win the NFA Cup (Bidvest Cup). It has eluded us for a long time now but we are confident we have the capacity to do a double this season. It won’t be easy but we are confident,” said Bantam.
BA’s confidence is boosted by their two-legged clash against Kaizer Chiefs in the CAF Champions League, which saw them lose 4-1 on aggregate and Bantam has indicated that the experience gained during the CAF competition is indispensable.
“Before we played Chiefs, we were afraid and lacked confidence but for the second leg all changed and it helped a lot. We all know the magnitude of Chiefs and it was not going to be easy but we grew in confidence after the first leg. I was even scared but we should have won the second leg. The experience has boosted our confidence and level of fitness – we must win against Cuca Tops tomorrow and go all the way,” added Bantam
The winner between BA and Cuca Tops will face Erongo second division side Blue Birds in the last 16 round of the Bidvest Cup on the weekend of February 28. The other remaining fixtures from the round of 32 will see Bush Bucks take on Mountain Rangers, while coastal outfit Eleven Arrows will face African Stars. Both these games are also to be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium tomorrow.
According to Eleven Arrows coach Wallace Doeseb, his side will be ready to give Stars a highly competitive game as they equally plan to advance to the next round of the competition.
“We are at the moment 85 percent ready for the game due to the fact that we were off for two weeks as BA and Stars participated in Africa and now we are struggling with match fitness a bit but we will get there,” says Doeseb.
“Stars played Petro Athletico de Luanda at home and they won and went to Luanda and lost and so for players it can be demoralising, but it can also be encouraging for them to do better. And the experience of playing in Africa always comes in handy. So we have to be careful and treat them with all the respect they deserve but at the same time give nothing away,” added a confident Doeseb.
Entrance tickets for all matches are available for N$30 each at Computicket outlets at Shoprite and Checkers countrywide. – Additional reporting: nfa.org.na
By Otniel Hembapu