KK Palace, Chula Chula in season decider derby final This Sunday sees Oshakati become the center of activity when KK Palace and Eeshoke Chula Chula football clubs face off in a spicy northern derby at the Oshakati Independence Stadium. The Debmarine Namibia Premiership match will start at 16h00 and is the final league match of the season—one that may determine the two clubs’ futures. With both sides requiring a win to qualify for the top eight, the stakes have never been higher. Loss for either would mean dropping out of contention, and thus this match is a high-pressure struggle for survival and honor. Kennedy Shikongo, KK Palace Marketing Manager, has rallied the supporters to come out in numbers for this vital match. “We want all the supporters in the stadium. This is not football—it’s identity, pride, and oneness,” said Shikongo. “It’s the final match of the season, and the boys require that final push from the stands.” According to the team management, KK Palace has faced numerous challenges throughout the 2023/24 Debmarine Namibia Premiership season, particularly the lack of a major sponsor. “From day one, we’ve been struggling financially,” Shikongo revealed. “Running a club without sponsorship in a competitive league is extremely difficult. But our spirit has never broken.” Against the odds, the side has endured thanks to passionate supporters and low-level donors. “We owe so much to people who came in when we had nothing. I want to say a big thank you to the SA Potters and other people who stood by us thick and thin,” he said. Shikongo stressed that the upcoming match is more than a football game but a symbol of determination. “Our players have shown heart all season. This game is for all the fans who believed in us, and for all young footballers up north who dream to play in the Premiership one day.” Chula Chula, however, are equally determined and have ambitions of their own to finish in the top flight. The derby is sure to be an eye-for-an-eye encounter, with both sets of players going hammer and tongs. As Debmarine Namibia Premiership reaches its climax, Sunday’s match at Oshakati Independence Stadium will be a game-charged affair full of emotion, passion, and energy. The crowds are invited in numbers to witness the best of a northern football spectacle. The post KK Palace, Chula Chula in season decider derby final appeared first on The Namibian.

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KK Palace determined to retain topflight status Returning to the first division is not an option KK Palace is open to, says head coach Anderson Phiri. The Zambian mentor is determined to maintain the Ondangwa club’s Debmarine Namibia Premier League status, following a torrid campaign back in the premier division 20 years after their previous relegation. To achieve that ambition, his team has to fight for every available point during the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season, he says. In keeping with how the season has unfolded for them so far, Palace experienced mixed results away from home over the weekend. They went down 2-0 to Khomas Nampol on Saturday before securing a rare but crucial win when they beat fellow strugglers Young Brazilian 1-0 on Sunday. The win gave Palace much-needed breathing room as they now lie 10th on the log with a four-point buffer between themselves and Bucks Buccaneers who top the drop zone. “Today we created more scoring chances than our opponents, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net. Our current target is to remain in the Premier League, but that can only happen if we start accumulating points,” Phiri said following defat to Nampol. His generally goal-shy side responded with a hard-fought victory over the second-last Brazilians. Phiri stressed that their primary objective at the moment is to avoid relegation, expressing hope that his squad will pull through. “We just need to maintain composure as a team when we are in front of the goal. As a coach, you start to wonder what is going wrong when you create scoring opportunities but fail to convert them. So, it’s now about returning to the drawing board with the team to assess what we can improve,” Phiri said in Round 14 of the Debmarine Namibia Premiership at Independence Stadium in Windhoek, Olympia. After 14 matches, KK Palace are ranked 11th with 14 points in a 16-team league. They have won only three games, drawn five and lost six, sitting three points above Young Brazilians in 14th place – the start of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, African Stars have found a substantive head coach, following the appointment of Bob Mafoso from Lesotho yesterday. He takes over from stand-in head coach Benedictus Haoseb, who has held the reins since ex-head coach Ronny Kanalelo abruptly quit towards the end of February. During his short spell at the helm, Haoseb led the club in the inaugural MTC Maris Cup and wrestled the NPFL standing’s summit back from Khomas Nampol. “As we welcome coach Boba Mafoso to the African Stars family, we invite all our loyal fans to pack the stadiums support the team, and be part of this exciting journey,” Stars said when announcing the new head coach arrival on its socials yesterday. “The mission is clear-more trophies, more history, more glory.” – Adapted from Nampa  The post KK Palace determined to retain topflight status appeared first on The Namibian.

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