WINDHOEK – MTC Premiership record four time consecutive title winners Black Africa Football Club will face a test of character.
The former champions travel the short distance to confront old foes Tigers in a mid week MTC Premiership clash of the titans under floodlights at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, tonight.
Both teams remain unbeaten after two rounds of matches since the start of the 2018/2019 season though hosts “Ingwe” find themselves perched in a precarious 12th place on the MTC Premiership log standings on two points from a possible six – having drawn both their opening matches.
In contrast, newly appointed Black Africa youthful mentor Paulus “Wire” Shipanga, hit the ground running steering the Gemengde outfit to back to back wins in their opening two matches and the two teams alongside early pacesetters Mighty Gunners boasting a squeaky clean 100 percent record.
Having been dethroned as league champions the season before, BA staged a dramatic title challenge when the race for the coveted league title hit the home straight last term to finish runner up behind eventual league winners African Stars.
Now, under the shrewd mentorship of former Brave Warriors and Blue Waters’ flying winger Wire Shipanga, red hot BA will be out to leapfrog surprise table toppers Mighty Gunners into the summit of the log standings at the expense of their bitter rivals.
On paper, the Donkerhoek outfit still has a very competitive squad to challenge for the league crown with a decent lineup comprising a mixture of experienced campaigners and exciting youngsters.
However, all eyes will be on Ingwe’s new signing Reginald ‘Kokorot’ Willemse, the Ajax Cape Town FC protégé.
The attacking midfielder is eager to establish himself as a vital cog in the Tigers’ engine room with the hope of catching the eye of Ricardo Manetti’s technical stuff for a call up to the national senior football team.
Tigers are still reeling from the shock departure of some of their leading playing personnel that has seen the pair of ball wizard Image Izaaks and lanky goal poacher Kumbee “Adebayor” Katjiteo jumping ship to join cross-location rivals African Stars.
Defensive midfielder Esto Kavel also left the club to join forces with coastal giants Eleven Arrows while skillful attacking midfielder Benjamin Nekavu, could not resist a tempting offer from the land of the Pharaohs. Nekavu left the country in a huff last week to try his luck in the highly competitive Egyptian Super League.
“Ingwe” will pin their hopes on free scoring net rattler Mapenzi Muwanei to unlock a stubborn BA rearguard, manned by Brave Warriors’ tireless fullback Dynamo Fredericks.
Interestingly, statistics show that both teams will go into match on equal footing and full confidence having shared the spoils in last season’s clashes. BA won the corresponding fixture 2-1 but “Ingwe” reversed that result with an identical score line (2-1) in the second round.