Windhoek
Former MTC Premiership campaigners Life Fighters FC are back in familiar territory.
The Otjiwarongo-based outfit gained promotion to the country’s flagship league, the MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL), after a well-deserved 2-0 win over Tropical Heat at the Mokati Stadium in Otjiwarongo on Sunday.
“Okahirona”, as the team is affectionately known, won promotion with two games to spare and were crowned the North-West Stream First Division (NWFSD) champions of the 2015/2016 season, regaining their MTC premiership status in the process.
Going into the weekend’s action, Life Fighters – who now join Mighty Gunners as the second NPL representative from the town – needed just a draw to secure a place in next season’s NPL action, but they chose to cap off a great season in astounding fashion, collecting maximum points against Tropical Heat.
Their fiercest rival in the campaign for promotion, former MTC Premiership campaigners Touch & Go FC, had to settle for second spot and must wait for next season to try and reclaim their NPL status.
Life Fighters, one of the most widely supported football clubs in Namibia, suffered relegation to the country’s National First Division during 2004/05 and were again demoted to the third-tier league in 2008.
Apart from reaching the final of the sought-after NFA Cup on no less than two occasions, the northern giants finished runners-up in the 1999 NPL season.
On a rather sad note, the team’s departure from the NPL was rather unceremonious and the club vehemently protested the manner in which they were relegated – having been docked points for a match against Tigers that they did not play.
Back then, home teams were responsible for organising security at their matches and failure to comply with this requirement controversially resulted in points being awarded to the visiting team. Match officials abandoned the game, due to inadequate security personnel at the stadium that day.
Controversially, football authorities then declared Tigers the winner and although Fighters sought to have the decision reversed, the ruling stood and the club was obliged to return to the lower division.
New Era Sport yesterday caught up with the man behind the revival of this great football club, Anton Kake.
This is his story: “When I took over the administration, the club was on the verge of being kicked out of the league for constant failure to honour their league fixtures.
“We put structures in place and literally ran the club from the boot of my car, using my own resources, but in the end it was worth the candle, because there was no way we could allow this great club with a rich history to disappear into thin air.”
Kake added that they have learned from past mistakes and will do everything to ensure the club retains its Premiership status: “The club enjoys massive support among the town’s residents and it’s incumbent upon us to recruit the best talent, if we are to return the club to its former glory days.”
Asked how the club would attract established footballers to their nest, Kake was quick out of the starting blocks, saying he believes new developments in the town will benefit the club immensely, with dozens of new companies opening their doors – thus creating more job opportunities in the area.