SWAKOPMUND – Hosts Namibia had to be satisfied with the wooden spoon after going down 2-0 to traditional rivals South Africa in the biannual Four Nations Cup 3rd place playoff at the Swakomund Sports Complex on Sunday.
Buhle Mfodololo and Thendo Mukumele netted a goal apiece to guide South Africa to a well deserved triumph after the two teams opened their assault with a 1-all stalemate against each other in the mini tournament featuring hosts Namibia, South Africa, Ghana and Westphalia.
The youth tourney produced an avalanche of goals with a total of 21 goals scored in 720 minutes of action. Ghana’s Abass Issah walked away with the Golden Boot Award with a personal tally of four goals, averaging a goal in each match.
Namibia’s acrobatic shot stopper and skipper Donovan Gainub gifted the hosts some sort of consolation when he deservedly won the Golden Gloves award for his outstanding heroics between the sticks. The visiting Westphalia’s playmaker and Borussia Dortmund Academy product, Serhart Kot, was voted the Best Player of the youth tourney.
Ghana were the evential winners – edging out Westphalia 4-2 in the dreaded penalty shootout after the tie finished in a 1-all stalemate. The Black Starlets defeated Westphalia 3-0 in their group match but the Germans were a different side as they put up a galant performancce in the final.
The well organized Germans found themselves on the backfoot and it was left to mercurial striker Tobias Tellio to do the trick. The well built striker unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 metres out that left the Ghanaian goalkeeper catching flies to give the Germans a 1-goal cushion going into the changeover.
Ghana came out with guns blazing at the resumption, launching numerous attacks and were eventually rewarded when the enterprising Collins Tanor let fly with an unstoppable shot from 25 metres – leaving Westphalia’s netguard Leon Bruggemier stranded (1-1).
In the dreaded penalty shootout, Tobias Tellio was successful for Westphalia with Emmanuel Sowah replying in similiar fashion for the West Africans before Keanu Stande’s poorly struck spot kick was easily gathered by Kwesi Asiedu. Westphalia’s Cagatay Kader blasted his penalty over the crossbar – leaving the Ghanaian pair of Amoakoa and Issah to convert the subsequent spot kicks.
Fabian Reese netted Westphalia’s 4th – leaving Ghana’s Henry Medarious with the nervy task to score the winning goal with the last kick of the match. The youngster duly obliged as he neatly placed his spot kick way beyond the outstretched arms of Bruggemier to give the Ghanaians a well deserved victory.
By Staff Reporter