African Stars’ journey in the Caf Champions League came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday. 

They were eliminated by Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy after a 6-5 defeat on penalties in the second leg. 

Despite winning the first preliminary leg 1-0, the Namibian side could not hold onto their advantage in the return fixture, where Jwaneng Galaxy equalised the aggregate score with a 1-0 victory in regular time. 

The decisive goal was netted by former Vasco Da Gama (now Stellenbosch) striker Omaatla Kebatho, pushing the aggregate to 1-1, and forcing the match into a penalty shootout, where Jwaneng ultimately prevailed.

Reflecting on the match, African Stars coach Ronnie Kanalelo stressed the team’s strong organisation and defensive efforts. 

“We kept them at bay for a long time, but their goal was a gift from us – a mistake that allowed them to get back into the game,” he lamented. 

He said the challenge was posed by Jwaneng’s offensive quality, particularly their towering striker, who kept the Stars’ defence under constant pressure. 

“Our defensive behaviour weakened when we didn’t have the ball, and that’s where we struggled. We didn’t do enough in the final third to secure a goal due to a combination of factors, including decision-making and our approach in the attacking phase,” he noted.

Despite the disappointment, he remains focused on the future. 

“We’re going back to the field. The project is the Champions League. The league will start, and the project begins again,” he said.

Stars captain Ronald Ketjijere acknowledged the tough nature of the match. 

“We had our moments, and I think we could have done better, especially in the final third. We lacked commitment, which is disappointing at this stage, because we didn’t capitalise on our opportunities,” he said. With Stars now out of the competition, Jwaneng Galaxy advanced to face South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in the second preliminary round of the Champions League on 13 September. 

This upcoming clash will see two Namibian players, Wendall Rudath of Jwaneng Galaxy and Deon Hotto of Orlando Pirates, go head-to-head.

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na