Windhoek
As widely conjectured, Namibia’s best supported football club African Stars yesterday emerged as winners of the marathon SMS competition, which was to determine the fourth participant in the upcoming Dr Hage Geingob Cup, after the Katutura giants amassed the most public votes for a place in the 2016 edition of the prestigious tourney.
Slated for Windhoek’s Independence Stadium on August 6-7, the competition’s votes were announced at yesterday’s press briefing in the capital, with Stars finishing top – ahead of rivals Black Africa, Orlando Pirates, Tura Magic and Unam to claim the only remaining spot in the four-team fixture list of the tournament.
Stars bagged a total of 25 928 votes to win the SMS competition, while Unam claimed 2nd place with 25 874 votes and Black Africa came in 3rd place after accumulating 13 704 votes to complete the top-three lineup.
Local football fans were required to vote for their respective clubs to be the fourth team to partake in the Dr Hage Geingob Cup through an SMS competition, SMSing the name of their club to the number 5003. Fifteen Namibia premier league clubs participated in the competition.
The opening match of the Cup will see Namibia premiership champions Tigers take on African Stars, while defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns confront their compatriots Orlando Pirates in the second match of the day – both these matches to be played on August 6. But ahead of both games, Namibia’s U/17 boys side will be first on the field to confront Congo in their 2017 CAF U/17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Sunday of August 7 the two losing teams will play a curtain raiser, while the two winning sides meet in the final. Entrance tickets are on sale at Computicket for N$20 each. Local clubs African Stars and Tigers will pocket N$400 000 each in appearance fees.