By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK
Brave Warriors’ hot striker Pineas Jacobs scored on either side of play to steer his club Oshikandela Ramblers to a well deserved 2-Nil win over Bizhub Eleven Arrows in an MTC Namibia Premiership match at the Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay, yesterday.
The victory moved Rammies into second place on 33 points – a mere point adrift of log leaders Orlando Pirates but the Tunchel Street Boys boast a match in hand over the Buccaneers.
Ramblers have not won a league match since mid-March and their title hopes were fading at an alarming speed – prompting the team’s management to ring changes in the coaching department that saw the team’s former striker Eric Muinjo taking over the reins at the ambitious underachieving club.
The highly qualified Muinjo seemed to be just what the good doctor had ordered and the away win over their fellow title-chasing opponents has certainly lifted the spirits in the camp with four rounds of matches left before the curtain comes down in what can easily be described as the most intriguing title race ever experienced in the history of domestic football at the elite level.
Elsewhere, Black Africa’s title aspirations suffered a heavy dent when Smithley Engelbrecht’s charges played out a 1-all draw against a seemingly weary African Stars, in an uninspiring match at the Khomasdal Stadium, on Friday evening.
Africa played with ten men for the better part of the match after stalwart defender Moses “Muree” Katjiteo, was red-carded after a professional foul on Stars’ wasteful striker Browers “Litanga” Litombo, early in the first half.
The result moved Africa into joint 4th place on the log standings with Arrows on 29 points each, but the coastal side’s superior goal difference gives them a slight edge over their inland counterparts, while Stars have all but kissed goodbye any slim hopes of laying their hands on the coveted title.
Despite having reached the final of the country’s most sought after knock-out competition – the MTC NFA Cup – and sporadic brilliance in patches, tales of despondency between the club’s administrators and players are streaming out of the Reds’ camp like wild fire.
One of the club’s leading players is reported to have complained bitterly about dizziness as a result of a shallow stomach on the eve of Friday’s match against Black Africa, leading to the said player not performing to his full potential.
As it stands, Ramblers are the better placed team to walk away with the title race but the star-studded Pionierspark-based outfit need to win the remaining four matches that includes tough assignments against defending champions Civics, Black Africa, Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) and away to potential party spoilers Oshakati City.