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Home / Red-hot Stars on brink of coveted league title… Black Africa, Tigers stumble
Red-hot Stars on brink of coveted league title… Black Africa, Tigers stumble
2015-04-20Staff Report 2 WINDHOEK – At face value, the race for the coveted MTC Premiership title is all but sealed after the weekend’s action that saw two of the three genuine title contenders have their points tally cheesed off. All the traumas of the last couple of days were temporarily put to bed, at least for the time being as Katutura glamour football club African Stars confirmed their title credentials with impressive away wins last weekend. Prior to yesterday’s penultimate clash against United Stars, Stars’ players regrouped against all odds to shake off the sudden news on the sad passing of long serving team manager Lesley Kozonguizi’s elder son Ronnie Tjiueza, who perished in a horrific motor vehicle accident yesterday. The team responded in the most dignified fashion by defeating United 2-0 to stretch their lead at the summit to an unassailable tally of 8 points with only three matches left before closure of the 2014/2015 campaign. Joslyn Kamatuka and Riaan Cloete’s late second half strikes did the trick for grief-stricken Reds. Letu Shatimuene’s second half penalty separated the two teams as Tigers dusted themselves off their unceremonious defeat against mid-table Mighty Gunners by seeing off ten-man FNB Orlando Pirates 1-0 in yesterday’s hotly contested clash of the titans that saw Ghosts centre back Ivan Makina receiving marching orders by the referee. Touch and Go beat Civics 2-0 to come off the weekend unscathed. The Otavi outfit played out a 1-all draw against Citizens the previous day while bottom side Benfica recorded a rare win, seeing off Citizens 3-0. Reigning Namibian champions Black Africa all but kissed goodbye to their aspirations for a historical unprecedented 5th title in a row after Ronnie Kanalelo’s charges were held to an uninspiring 1-all stalemate by LHU Blue Waters at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. Tigers suffered a shocking 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Mighty Gunners with Harold Ochurub and Vernon Klazen netting a goal apiece to give the men in camouflaged uniform a well-deserved victory. In other action, Unam and visiting FNB Eleven Arrows shared the spoils in a two-goal thriller. Tura Magic recorded a well-deserved 2-0 triumph over United Stars in the first of a double header at the Rundu Stadium via the educated boots of Itamunua Keimuine and Charles Hambira. Woody Jacobs’ wounded Stars took a giant leap in their bid to dethrone BA from the pedestal and now have their fingertips on the much sought-after league title. The runaway log leaders consolidated their position at the summit via a 1-0 win against a stubborn Julihno outfit with rejuvenated winger Lovers Kamuhanga netting the only goal of the tightly contested encounter to put the red-hot Reds firmly in the driving seat for the elusive league title. Elsewhere, Civics inflicted more misery on already relegated Benfica - scoring two unanswered goals against the basement dwellers at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium, on Saturday. In yesterday’s action, Timo Tjongarero’s fired-up Tura Magic completed a double over their Rundu hosts, ironically with identical score lines. After seeing off United on Saturday, the Tura boys repeated their feat - courtesy of another impressive 2-0 victory over Julihno. Lethal goal poacher Peter Shalulile and Theofelus Juneas were on target for the visitors. Blue Waters had the better of the proceedings in yesterday’s match against Unam, dispatching the students 4-2, while Arrows suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Black Africa in a match of convenience at the Sam Nujoma Stadium. Across town, Rebels and Gunners cancelled each other out in a 1-all draw. 2015-04-20Staff Report 2
