UIS – There seems to be no stopping Airport Eagles Football Club after the Windhoek outfit swept their opponents aside to clinch the annual Namport Sundowner Cup tournament in the village of Uis last weekend.
The Eagles won the popular tourney for the 4th time in a row when they defeated Usakos Eleven in the dreaded penalty shootout in the final. The tie ended in a 2-all stalemate after extra time.
However, Eagles did not have an easy path to the final as they had to negotiate their way past very competitive opponents with teams from the hosts Uis and its surrounding settlements – Dolam Pirates (WHK), Namport (Walvis Bay), Kaizer Chiefs (Arandis), PUBS (Outjo), Young Tigers (Karibib), AC Milan (Henties Bay) and Stones (Groot Aub). A total of 22 clubs contested the two-day tourney.
Tournament underdogs Usakos Eleven started their assault like a house on fire seeing off Dolam Pirates 3-1 in the quarterfinal to set up a date with Namport in the semifinal where they triumphed 1-0 in a hard fought encounter. At the other end, Eagles beat Stones by an identical score line to book a place in the final.
The team from Usakos was the first to draw blood when they rattled the opposition’s net early in the opening half only for Eagles to draw level soon afterwards – much to the excitement of the thousands of football fans that flocked to the village to be on the touchline.
Usakos restored their slender lead but the lead was cancelled out again when Eagles equalized from the penalty spot in the dying minutes of an otherwise entertaining match where no quarter was asked or given.
The team from Erongo had a glorious opportunity to take the lead for the umpteenth time in the match when they were awarded a spot kick in extra time. The chance went astray when the penalty taker ballooned the ball into the sky. The match ended in a 2-all stalemate and the result had to be decided through a penalty shootout. Eagles kept their nerve and emerged 4-3 winners in the dreaded penalty shootout.
Netball prizes to be increased next year
In the netball section, Coastal outfit Alabi United (Walvis Bay) were crowned the overall champions in the netball division which was played on a round robin basis. United came out tops leaving Kaizer Chiefs (Arandis), Seven Bullets (Henties Bay) and Petrus Ganeb Secondary School to pick up the pieces – in that order.
Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Connie Brandt expressed disappointment with the low turnout in the netball discipline, adding that organizers would increase prizes in the particular category next year in a bid to attract more teams to the popular annual gathering.
Brandt applauded Namport for its generous sponsorship and technical support. He also reserved praise for all the teams, management, supporters, business people and all individuals who were instrumental in making the annual spectacle a huge success.