WINDHOEK – Namibia Premier League (NPL) giant killers Tura Magic’s fairytale run in the season’s pipe opening League Cup remained on course as the exciting Katutura-based outfit defied the odds to eliminate pre-tournament favourires FNB Orlando Pirates in the first semifinal of the NPL League Cup at the Kuisebmund Stadium in Walvis Bay on Saturday.
The Ghosts were hot favourites to reach the final after emerging as the only side in the 12 team tourney to collect maximum points in the opening round of the round robin group ties, while Bertus Bock’s young brigade scraped through to the semifinals at the expense of big brother Tigers – edging ahead of their more fancied rivals on a superior goal difference.
A brilliant display of football virtuosity never witnessed in this neck of the woods in a very long time propelled the youthful outfit to a well-deserved triumph over the Buccaneers -courtesy of Junias Theofelus’ lone strike that separated the two Windhoek-based teams. In the other semifinal, the revitalized Eleven Arrows, under the stewardship of former Chief Santos centre back Wallace Doeseb, utilized their homeground advantage to the maximum as a goal apiece from Abraham Paulus, Skapie and Donald Kheiseb halted any further interest in the competition by Civics.
It took the rejuvenated seasiders three unanswered goals from three matches, adding to the three goals apiece in their opening two matches for a total haul of 9 goals en route to the final after 270 minutes of action. Arrows will come up against Tura Magic in the final with the latter on the verge of rewriting the history books by winning a major trophy in topflight football at only their second attempt. However, the ambitious youthful outfit must first negotiate their way past the potentially and equally dangerous coastal side if they are to realize their somewhat far-fetched aspirations.
Inaugural champions African Stars, failed to clear the first hurdle when they exited the competition without losing a single match in the opening round robin stage that saw them accumulate 4-points via one win and a drawn match against Arrows in a 6 goal thriller. The coastal outfit edged ahead of the ambitious Reds coached by Woody Jacobs by virtue of a superior goal average, having netted one goal more than Stars in the 3-team group stage also featuring PC Blue Boys.
By Carlos Kambaekwa