John Muyamba
Nkurenkuru
The much anticipated Kavango West Governor’s Cup, which will consist of the football tourney, was recently launched at the town of Nkurenkuru. The Cup will honour and recognise the hard work, contribution and dedication of Kavango West Governor Sirkka Ausiku.
The Kavango West Governor’s Cup is slated for this weekend and will see a total of eight constituencies within the Kavango West region battle it out nor top honours. Ausiku sponsored the tournament with N$20,000 and the tournament will be contested under the theme: ‘Clash of the Constituencies’.
The tournament was introduced by the governor in collaboration with the Kavango West Football League Committee and will become an annual tournament for the region with the aim of developing football within the region, as well as to accord the region’s Under-17 and Under-20 youth footballers an opportunity to showcase their talents.
According to Egidius Nambara, a member of the Kavango West Football League Committee, who is also a member of the Governor’s Cup organising committee, the tourney was initiated after the Namibian Newspaper Cup tournament that took place in Swakopmund.
“The Kavango West regional team performed poorly at that tournament, losing both its two matches against Khomas and Oshikoto. Being a football lover herself, Governor Ausiku thus decided to sponsor a tournament for the youth mainly under 17 and 20, where all eight constituencies will contest and also serve as a feeder tournament to the regional team,” Nambara said.
The tournament will offer the Kavango West Football League Committee a platform to scout for players that will in the future be selected to represent the region at next year’s Newspaper Cup and the Scorpion Zinc Cup.
“Once a team is selected well in advance, it will then give the technical team ample time to train the boys and prepare them well for the tournaments,” Nambara noted.
The tournament will be played in a two-group format, with each group consisting of four teams; the two top teams from each group will then contest in the semi finals, and the two winners of these will then contest the final, while the two losing teams will contest for 3rd place.
Group-1 conisist of Ncuncuni, Mankumpi, Mpungu and Ncamagoro constituencies, while Group-2 consist of Musese, Nkurenkuru, Kapako and Tondoro constituencies.
The winners of the Cup will pocket N$5,000, a floating trophy and gold medals, while the runners-up will receive N$3,000 and silver medals. Third-place finishers are guaranteed a consolation prize of N$2,000 and bronze medals.