By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK – Undisputed Namibian football champions Black Africa were the biggest winners at the annual MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL) awards ceremony in Windhoek on Friday night.
As widely expected, BA head coach Brian ‘Oubaas’ Isaacs was the proud recipient of the coach of the year award after the soft-spoken mentor steered the Gemengde-based outfit to a historic fourth successive league title in the 2013/2014 campaign.
Isaacs was shortlisted alongside African Stars coach Woody Jacobs and surprise package Timo Tjongarero (Tura Magic).
Black Africa’s attacking midfielder Awilo Stephanus walked away with a double in the prestigious players’ player of the year and the golden ball awards, amidst murmurs of discontent among those in attendance who strongly felt the mercurial playmaker had a quiet season by his own standards, despite having almost single-handedly propelled the defending champions to the coveted league crown.
Some felt African Stars defender Freedom Puriza who has since joined forces with South Africa’s second tier club, Golden Arrows, should have been the obvious choice.
The selection of Civics’ Wangu Gomez for the find of the season award raised eyebrows as well due to the fact that the player is a veteran campaigner in the country’s topflight league and should not have been considered for this particular category.
Gomez enjoyed an outstanding season with the Civilians but his selection did not inspire football pundits who felt the newly introduced award should have gone to the real Caesar, Stars young midfielder McBride Ndjavera.
There is a general school of thought that Ndjavera’s conspicuous omission was a well-orchestrated retribution against the Reds stemming from the club’s ugly fight with football authorities.
Blue Waters livewire striker, Ballack Somaeb, won the golden boot award after rattling the opposition’s net on no fewer than 17 times, while the chairman award went to Namibia Football Association (NFA) iron lady, Jacky Gertze, for her outstanding work with the Galz & Goals project.
In his acceptance speech, Black Africa’s strongman, Ranga Haikali, had the crowd in stitches when he bragged with tongue in cheek, and rightly so, that his club had set a target of four successive league titles and with that objective having been achieved, the business mogul added that a 5th title remains negotiable.
BA received a dummy cheque for a handsome one million Namibia dollars for winning the title with 46 points, one ahead of runners-up African Stars (N$600 000) with 3rd placed FNB Orlando Pirates and 4th placed Tigers having to be satisfied with a consolation prize of N$300 000 and N$100 000 in that order.