Zebaldt Ngaruka
OZOMBOUVAPA – The Combo football club claimed the Otjinene Sports Club (OSC) mini-open tournament that was staged at Otjinene Sports Field in the Omaheke region over the weekend.
OSC set aside N$10 000 in cash prize money, trophies and medals for the tournament, which was aimed at raising funds for the club’s participation in the upcoming annual Otjinene December competition.
Combo defeated Golden 1-0 in the first quarterfinal and qualified for the semifinal.
The second quarter-final saw Otjinene Nampol crash Liverpool by a 4-1 scoreline, whereas Otjombonde overcame Omungondo 1-0 in another quarter-final match.
Farm Mooidraai locked horns against Okei, with the latter emerging 5-4 on penalties, following a goalless stalemate in regulation time.
Following this, Combo and Otjinene Nampol engaged in a fiercely competitive semifinal match, in which Combo ultimately won 4-3 on penalties because neither of the two giants could score during regulation.
In the second semifinal encounter, Otjombonde eliminated Mooidraai by a goal to nil and booked their final spot against Combo.
A solitary goal from Shoe Mata in the 80th minute was enough for Combo to be crowned champion of the OSC mini-tournament.
The champions pocketed a cash prize of N$4 000 in addition to a trophy and 18 gold medals, while Otjombonde settled for a N$2 500 cash prize plus 18 silver medals as runners-up.
Otjinene Nampol and Mooidraai walked away with a cash prize of N$1 400 for coming third in the competition.
Combo head coach Kapapa Rukero told this publication that his players prepared well for the tournament, and that has led to the final victory.
“I am happy for the win, but my players showed a high level of commitment from the first game – and we will continue with the same tempo in upcoming competitions,” Rukero said.
OSC, comprised mainly of athletics, football, netball, volleyball and boxing, was established in 2019 to develop sports in the constituency.