Carlos Kambaekwa
Windhoek-MTC Premiership early pacesetters Katutura glamour football club, African Stars, entertain the equally in-form UNAM in the second of a double header at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, tonight at 20h00.
The mouth-watering encounter between the yet-to-taste defeat cross-town rivals will be preceded by the Civics/Citizens clash of mid-table campaigners, starting at 18h00 at the same venue.
Bobby Samaria’s free-scoring charges are seating atop of the MTC Premiership log table with maximum points (9) from three games and are hot favourites to extend their unbeaten run to four when they host Ronnie Kanalelo’s much-improved students.
However, the Reds are warned to underestimate the “Clever Boys” at their own peril, as the students are also fresh from a good run that includes a 2-all draw against Tura Magic followed by a well-deserved 2-1 triumph over Civics, in last weekend’s third round league action.
“We are aware that we are up against very experienced opponents but we won’t show them any respect on the field of play.
“Look, our main objective is to build a team for the future while they (Stars) are under tremendous pressure from their fans to reclaim the league title but that will not make us less competitive,” said Kanalelo.
The former Brave Warriors and lanky Mamelodi Sundowns shot stopper is likely to adjust his game plan as a result of injuries to key players, he was cagy of identifying.
“We have two vital players in the treatment room and I’m not quite sure whether I will stick with our usual 3-5-2 system or slightly change the playing format if the pair does not recover well in time.”
A much more relaxed Kanalelo,added that his youthful squad is loaded with a significant number of youngsters who came from the lower divisions and need sufficient time to gel and settle in.
Much travelled recalled Brave Warriors’ pocketsize ruthless striker Muna Katupose has hit form and could inflict irreparable damage on his former employers if left unchecked.
In their last league match, the Reds could only manage an unconvincing 1-0 narrow win against struggling Citizens, last Friday under floodlights and Stars’ wily gaffer Samaria, knows very well that another such shallow display from his expensively assembled brigade could come back to haunt them gravely in the long run.
In tonight’s opening match, Brain Isaacs’ wounded Civilians would be out to return to winning ways following last weekend’s narrow (2-1) defeat at the hands of UNAM, as they confront the equally wounded Citizens in the curtain raiser of a double header at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, 18h00.