Log leaders Ramblers were held to a one-all draw by Hage Geingob Secondary School in their league match at the Trustco United Football Field recently.
Ramblers, who are all but guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages, now sit comfortably on top of the log with 30 points, following their draw with the Katutura-based Hage Geingob Secondary School.
This was the first time Ramblers dropped points in the 2023 HopSol U/19 league.
Hage Geingob Secondary School coach Josia Hitanwa acknowledged they played a better and well-organised team that had more resources than them.
“I have to thank my boys because they stuck to the game plan; we told them to keep the defence tight and hang in there. We were looking for a point in the game today, and we got it,” he explained.
Hitanwa said their plan of stopping Ramblers from playing their passing game by building from the back, especially in the second half, helped them to avoid conceding goals.
“We did not want them to come into our half and let them pass freely, which they usually like doing. We picked them up man to man and did not allow them to have space. It’s not the first time to play them; we have faced them on previous occasions, hence we planned accordingly,” he added.
“I told my boys to be physical – not to complain – and not to give up. Also, we are heading towards exams now; most of the boys who play for us are in one school, so the culture is to study first and then train later. We do not have time because of the upcoming exams, but we will see how we are going to accommodate training and classes,” he said.
Ramblers coach Raymond Vilander felt his boys performed poorly, as they failed to stick to their playing style, which has seen them go undefeated this season.
“I think we are getting carried away because we have ended the season as number one. Today, we had a very poor game, and the changes we brought in did not work out. It was one of those days for us where we took it on the chin and started preparing for the quarterfinals,” Vilander said.
Ramblers’ defence has been rock solid, conceding only three goals this season, while their attack has been potent.
“It did not work out today, and it’s not an excuse, but not all of the boys were here, and we used some of the under-17 boys. One thing is for sure: if we are going to play this way, which is our worst performance for the season, we are not going to make it to the semi-finals,” he said.
He added that they are going back to the drawing board to address a few issues identified during the match.
“We are not going to read too much into today’s performance; this is not how we play. When it comes to the next round, it’s going to be a different ballgame altogether. There will be no more sitting back; we will go full-out,” he said. Elsewhere, Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) overcame Jan Möhr by a 1-0 scoreline at the latter’s football fields.
SKW won the match via a brilliant free kick to earn three points, heading into the playoffs. Brighton Ziyakatira of SKW said it was a tough game, as they could not get going throughout the match.
“We were well prepared as per our schedule for the match, but as the season progresses, a lot of opposition sits deep, and it’s always difficult to penetrate that line,” he explained.
“So, in most cases, you need to get players shooting from outside of the box. It was a good combination and a good hit from the free kick into the top corner for a brilliant goal,” he concluded.