African Stars are N$1.5 million richer after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Young African in the MTC Maris Cup final on Saturday afternoon at the Dr Hage Geingob Stadium.

The only goal of the match came in the 30th minute, courtesy of Willy ‘Awillo’ Stephanus. 

Stars’ head coach Benedictus Haoseb praised the turnout of Okaserendu supporters, who showed up in full force, dressed in red to cheer on their team. 

“We got what we wanted. We wanted to display great football for our supporters,” he said.

 “Sometimes, tactics and game analyses are secondary – winning your duels on the field is what counts. The more you run, the better you perform – and today, the players delivered,” he said. Stephanus, who scored the match-winning goal, reflected on the game, acknowledging the challenge posed by Young African’s newly-assembled squad. 

“We knew they would come at us strong – but as an experienced team, we had to step up,” he said. 

“Scoring the only goal means I just have to keep pushing forward from here,” he added.

Stars’ Abraham Tjahikika was named the player of the tournament, and received N$20 000 for his outstanding performance throughout the competition.

Despite the loss, Young African’s Maleagi Ngarizemo congratulated Stars on their victory, expressing pride in his team. 

“We didn’t take our chances today, but we will prepare for the Debmarine Premier League and aim to beat them next time,” he stated.

Young African’s Deaon Kakuenje echoed the sentiment, noting that while they arrived well-prepared and had their own opportunities, they fell short. 

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, fix our mistakes, and be ready for the next encounter with Stars in the Premier League,” he said.

 -lmupetami@nepc.com.na