The MTC Netball Namibia Premier League returns this weekend with what is set to be one of the most defining rounds of the season.
With teams jostling for crucial points at both ends of the table, the weekend’s fixtures will not only determine standings, but could also shape the destiny of clubs in the 2025 campaign.
Saturday’s round 18 action will set the tone when log leaders, Namibian Correctional Service (NCS), square off against ninth-placed Afrocat Lions at 10h00 at the Khomasdal netball court.
At the same time in Otjiwarongo, seventh-placed Mighty Gunners will face a stern test against second-placed Otjozondjupa Nampol at Mokati Stadium.
Later in the day, title-chasing NCS will return to court against eighth-placed Tigers, while Gunners will lock horns with fifth-placed Namibian Navy at 14h00 in Mokati.
Third-placed Unam Ogongo will aim to consolidate their top-four ambitions when they face sixth-placed Extreme Eagles at 14h00 at the Unam Ogongo Campus.
Meanwhile, bottom-placed Cuca Tops, still searching for their first win of the season, will hope for a miracle when they take on the fourth-placed Eastern Chiefs at the same time.
Sunday’s round 19 encounters will bring further drama.
Tigers will open the day against Wanderers at 10h00 at the Khomasdal court.
Wanderers, who will feature twice on the day, will later meet Unam Jaguars at 14h00 before Afrocat Lions and Tigers close out the weekend with a 15h00 showdown.
For Afrocat Lions, the weekend could prove pivotal in their fight to climb away from the lower rungs of the table.
Head coach Dimitri Bitler acknowledged the pressure but struck a note of optimism: “We have a game in hand, so the pressure is still in our own control. What we need to do is collect as many points as possible from these derbies before we hit the road.
It’s going to be a gruelling weekend – no doubt – but we’ve been putting in the work. Hopefully, that gives us the edge to pull off an upset”.
Meanwhile, Unam Jaguars assistant coach and goal shooter Vendjie Maharero urged her team not to lose focus despite their inconsistent run.
“Our current position may look bleak but there’s plenty of season left. We are refining our tactics, sharpening our mental toughness and rallying as a unit,” he added.