WINDHOEK – Katutura giants Tigers defeated Unam 2-0 in the quarterfinal of the lucrative BidVest Cup at the vociferous Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek yesterday.
Junior Shikolola and the habitual party-pooper Absalom Imbodi (penalty) netted a goal apiece in each half to give Bobby Samaria’s resurgent “Ingweinyama’ a well-deserved win to set up a date with fellow FNB stable mates Eleven Arrows in the semifinal.
MTC Premiership find of the season, Nicky “Tornado” Musambani came off the substitutes bench to score a late goal to give the Buccaneers a 1-0 win over bitter rivals Black Africa in the final semifinal berth last night.
In Saturday’s action, reigning BidVest Cup champions Stars moved a step closer to re-write the history books as the Reds gun to become the first club in domestic football to clinch Namibia’s most sought-after knockout silverware in three consecutive seasons.
A well-taken brace by speedy winger Guti Korukuve, suffocated by Zimbabwean import Godwin Jena’s strike gifted Woody Jacobs’ fired up charges a well-deserved 3-1 victory over a stubborn Young Chiefs – bringing the lower division campaigners’ fairytale run in the competition to a premature end in the quarterfinals at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.
Surprisingly, it was the lower division side that took the initiative from the onset when Castro Nuuyoma’s powerful header opened the scoring for Chiefs – leaving Stars veteran agile shot-stopper Athiel Mbaha catching flies.
Victory earned the ambitious Katutura glamour football club a spot in the semifinals of the coveted competition – in the process setting up a mouth-watering semifinal clash against traditional rivals FNB Orlando Pirates. It also kept the Reds firmly in the driving seat to realise their dream of a cup double.
Stars tops the MTC Premiership with an unassailable 10-point lead ahead of defending champions Black Africa, who are perched in third place with two matches in hand.
Coastal outfit FNB Eleven Arrows carved themselves a place in the last four with a hard-fought victory over MTC Premiership giant-killers, last year’s losing finalists Citizens. The visitors from the Atlantic Ocean dispatched the capital residents 4-2 in the dreaded penalty shootout.
Former youth international striker Papi Kavezembi on loan from Tura Magic was on target with a first-half header for the seasiders while former Chief Santos veteran goal poacher Tsiki Somseb replied for the Citizens.
Arrows’ hard-tackling defender Ephraim Mwaikange was voted man of the match.
The match ended 1-all in regulation time – leaving the ultimate outcome to be determined through the rotary of penalty kicks.
Draw for the BidVest Cup semi-finals read as follows:
African Stars vs FNB Orlando Pirates
Tigers vs FNB Eleven Arrows