… Shandumbala Boys in the driving seat
WINDHOEK – The pressure is mounting on increasingly under-fire African Stars coach, Woody Jacobs, following his team’s slow start to its 2013/2014 MTC Premiership campaign.
After two rounds of matches, which culminated in 180 minutes of action, the Reds are lingering in unfamiliar territory on the log with an unusual credit of a paltry one point from a possible six.
The Katutura glamour football club opened their assault in the current term with a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of traditional rivals FNB Orlando Pirates and failed to negotiate their way past the league’s giant slayers Tura Magic, in a dull goalless draw in their subsequent match at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, last Friday.
While it’s still early to start pressing panic buttons, Stars will have to jack up their act if they are to mount a serious challenge for the coveted league title but Woody Jacobs’ brigade could still take solace from their title rivals’ inconsistency.
Going into round two with their tails held high following their 2-1 win over Stars in the opening round, Ali Akan’s Buccaneers were brought heavily down to mother earth by visiting Eleven Arrows, who netted two unanswered goals to clinch a shock 2-0 victory against the sea robbers. A goal apiece in either half by Olavi Shaningayamwe and Jacques Uwu-Khaeb did the trick for the visitors.
Black Africa suffered their first defeat in as many games, when the undisputed Namibian champions found themselves on the receiving end of the league’s new boys, United Stars. United won 1-0 at the Rundu Stadium for their first win after returning to topflight football at the beginning of the current term.
In the weekend’s other action, Tigers shot to the top of the MTC Premiership log standings with another impressive display that saw them dispatch old foes LHU Blue Waters 4-2 at the Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay on Saturday.
League returnees, PC Blue Boys, collected their first maximum points of the season under review with a well deserved 4-2 win over visiting Rundu Chiefs in the first of a double header at the neutral Kuisebmond Stadium.
The visitors took a 1-goal cushion going into the changeover after their striker capitalized on a misunderstanding between the hosts’ goalkeeper and a defender. However, the seasiders were back on level terms 6 minutes after the resumption through Simon Negongo’s well-struck free kick.
The coastal outfit took the lead for the first time in the match through prodigal son Jordan Haimbili’s scorcher from 25-metres out, before further goals by Abi Namukwambi and David Joseph settled the tie. Chiefs pulled back a face-saving goal 5 minutes before the end to salvage some fading pride. Final result: Blue Boys 4-2 Rundu Chiefs.
Tigers and Civics are so far the only unbeaten teams after two rounds of action in the lucrative MTC Premiership but the Shandumbala Boys’ superior goal difference places them firmly in the driving seat on top of the log standings.
Under the stewardship of wily mentor, Bobby Samaria, Ingweinyama are men possessed and on a mission to finally shake off their usual stuttering aided by sporadic inconsistencies despite their potential to challenge for top honours.
By Carlos Kambaekwa