Defending Debmarine Premier League champions African Stars are gearing up for an action-packed season, with an ambitious recruitment drive that has already seen them secure six new signings. 

Fifa has lifted the ban on African Stars after they paid off the N$180 000 debit owed to their former Ghanaian striker, Ernest Adiwoh.

Headlining their acquisitions are 20-year-old attacking midfielder Jomo Tjiveta from Chora FC in Greece, 18-year-old midfielder Maurizio January from Swakopmund FC and 19-year-old goalkeeper Brango Rukoro from Desert Rollers. 

Additionally, they’ve welcomed 25-year-old defensive midfielder Rikambura Muundjua from Young Africans, 24-year-old attacking midfielder Godwin Eiseb from Unam and 22-year-old defensive midfielder Ngero Katua, also from Unam.

Head coach of Stars, Ronnie Kanalelo, stressed their tradition of recruiting top-tier talent ahead of each season, underlining their commitment to strengthening key areas of the team. “We are also constantly evaluating players from neighbouring countries to ensure we maintain a competitive edge,” he stated.

As the team embarks on their pre-season preparations, Kanalelo highlighted the significance of integrating new faces and refining their strategy, amidst a busy schedule. “This pre-season marks a fresh start for us with new players, staff and challenges. The primary goal is to strengthen certain areas by seeking players who are superior to our current ones, and releasing those who are surplus to requirements. 

“We are in the second week of the preparatory stage, and the entire trip (to Botswana) is an opportunity to assemble and develop a group of players. We don’t have time to work on the game model because we are playing four games in four days. We need to strike a balance between loading and assessing the new trial players.

“We’re also mindful of the upcoming PstBet NFA Cup final, just 10 days away,” said Kanalelo.

The pre-season fixtures are set to kick off with a clash against Gaborone United today at 15h00 at Dinaledi Academy, followed by a match against SuperSport United tomorrow at the Biac Grounds, also at 15h00. 

On Saturday, they will face Masitaoka at 15h00 back at Dinaledi Academy, concluding their tour with a Sunday morning fixture against BDF XI at 09h00 at the Biac Grounds. -lmupetami@nepc.com.na