Pinehas K Pinehas
Zebaldt Ngaruka
The Namibia Premier Football League delivered an action-packed weekend of rounds 23 and 24 with matches played in Oshakati, Rundu, Windhoek and Gobabis.
Tigers FC took on Okahandja United FC at the Unam stadium in Windhoek in a round 23 fixture on Saturday, but the tightly contested match ended in a 0-0 draw. On Thursday, the former lost 0-1 to Buck Buccaneers in their round 24 fixture.
With only six matches remaining in the season, Tigers central defender Usher Uazenga believes the team’s current momentum will help them avoid relegation.
“I feel like we are going to come out because of our current performance. We are trying our best, though we know it’s not easy. We still have six games to go, and I know we will make it work out,” he said.
Recently appointed Tigers co-coach Woody Jacobs acknowledged the pressure on the team but called on supporters to continue backing the players.
“I also think that there’s a lot of stress on the team and a lot of pressure. I also understand where it’s coming from, because this is a big team. But I just think we need to ease up on the pressure a little bit for the team. Anything can happen if we just start believing in them more, complimenting them more, encouraging them more,” he said.
Okahandja United FC coach Geingob Efraim said his team struggled to fully execute their game plan.
“The boys did not carry out all the instructions as they were supposed to, and that let us down a little bit, but at the end of the day, there was a point, and then we took that point,” he said.
Jacobs added that the team’s focus now shifts to next weekend’s fixtures, with the aim of securing at least four points from their two matches.
The reigning champions, African Stars FC and Young African FC, had a bad weekend after dropping points on their home turf.
African Stars experienced a difficult battle against the two coastal sides. Eleven Arrows and Blue Waters were the teams Stars collected on one point against Blue Waters and suffered a 1-0 loss to Arrows.
Their poor run cost them the top position in the log standings, which went to Eeshoke Chula Chula, who collected the maximum points over the weekend.
Speaking to New Era Sports, African Stars head coach Agnus Chabala Elemu said the results have been disappointing and that the team has to bounce back.
“We are saddened by the results. We have no excuse as players and the technical team, as we have put ourselves in this situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Young African FC head coach Maleagi Ngarizemo said the 5-1 defeat against Bucks Buccaneers is the worst in the club’s history since its inception 13 years ago.
The Gobabis-based outfit was humiliated on their home turf after failing to collect points against Buccaneers and Okahandja United.
“We have never lost like that, but what can we do? It’s fine; it’s football, and some boys couldn’t recover from Saturday’s loss ahead of Sunday’s encounter with Okahandja United. We lost six points at home, and we really wanted to go over the 30 bracket so that we can go out of relegation and fight for the top eight, with the youthful side,” he said.
In the other round 23 matches played on Saturday, Eeshoke Chula Chula defeated Mighty Gunners 3-2, as KK Palace beat Life Fighters 3-1 at the Oshakati Independence Stadium.
At the Legare stadium in Gobabis, Bucks Buccaneers recorded a 5-1 victory over Young African. At the Rundu Sports stadium in Rundu, Julinho Athletic defeated Unam FC 1-0, while Rundu Chiefs lost 0-1 to FC Ongos.
In Windhoek, at the Unam Sport stadium, Khomas Nampol lost 0-3 to Blue Waters and at the Independence stadium, African Stars lost 0-1 to Eleven Arrows.
In the round 24 matches, in Oshakati, KK Palace defeated Mighty Gunners by 4-1, while Eeshoke Chula Chula defeated Life Fighters 1-0. In Gobabis, Young African lost 1-2 to Okahandja United. At the Rundu Sports stadium, Rundu Chiefs defeated Unam FC 1-0, while Julinho Athletic lost 0-1 to FC Ongos. In Windhoek, Khomas Nampol lost 1-2 to Eleven Arrows, and African Stars drew 1-1 with Blue Waters.
As it stands, Eeshoke Chula Chula now leads the log with 47 points, followed by last week’s log toppers, African Stars with 46 points and FC Ongos in third with 43 points. Battling relegation are Rundu Chiefs with 23 points, Tigers with 20 points and Life Fighters at the very bottom with 17 points so far.
-ppinehas@nepc.com.na