Kasaona takes Newspaper Cup success in her stride Kunene region was going to win the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup eventually, says the 2025 tournament’s winning coach, Uerikondjera ‘Mammie’ Kasaona. In leading Kunene to the title on home soil earlier this week, she ended decades of heartache and underachievement in the country’s premiere youth sport competition for the region. The humble 38-year-old mentor downplays her historic feat, saying it was a case of the stars aligning for the region. “It was bound to happen,” Kasaona says. “God’s timing is the perfect one. Indeed, the ‘Great Kunene’ is honoured and we have done it at home.” Kasaona carved her name in Namibian football folklore by becoming the first woman to coach a team to the Newspaper Cup title. Again she attributes that feat down to fate, saying she only did her part in the collective success. As a Kunene-native, she felt bound by duty to help the region achieve its goal. “I think everything has its own timing and God’s timing is never wrong. So, I appreciate what God has done to us,” she says. “Personally, it’s always about giving back to where you come from. Home is where the heart belongs. Indeed, it [effort] came with a winning prize. We are grateful for this blessing.” Kasaona’s historic achievement is not by chance, says Namibia Women’s Football chairperson Monica Shapua. She is finally reaping the rewards of her dedication to improving the craft. “It’s something we as women’s football are proud of. It’s something that has been long coming. It’s historic, but it’s a long-term plan that we had for women’s football,” says Shapua, adding that Kasaona is a student of the ‘beautiful game’ who lives and breathes football. This borderline obsession with football is her main strength, a trait she has carried from her playing days to coaching. “Being the first female to coach a regional team and win the competition, it’s not a child’s play,” says Shapua. “It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, a lot of passion for the game that is put in and this is the result that is coming out now. “This was not by luck. It takes a lot of planning, It takes a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of determination to do that. She has been putting in the work for a very long time. Shapua would like to see the ‘Himba Gladiator’ taking charge of the Brave Gladiators or junior national teams full-time. Kasaona has been involved in these sides as an assistant or interim head coach in the past. “Give her enough preparation. Give her a technical team of her desire, enough preparation and support financially. “I know she can achieve great things. It means a lot for women’s football. It shows the return on investment that we have been putting in.” Tim Ekandjo, a football fanatic when not working in the corporate world, heaps praise on Kasaona for her landmark moment. “I thought that was quite an inspiring moment in our football history, which we should celebrate,” Ekandjo said when announcing a kit donation towards the national teams yesterday. “I’m not sure whether it was the fact that she’s female or whether she just had a good team. But either way, when the team loses, we like to blame the coach. So, when the team wins, we should also then celebrate the effort or the strategies that the coaches employed as well.” The post Kasaona takes Newspaper Cup success in her stride appeared first on The Namibian.

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Derby Day Delight for the People’s Team In a thrilling showdown that lived up to its reputation as one of the fiercest derbies in Namibian football, the Orlando Pirates (affectionately known as the People’s Team) triumphed over their rivals Black Africa (the Lively Lions) with a convincing 3-0 victory.  The win propelled the Pirates to fourth place on the log, boasting an impressive 14 points and firmly asserting their dominance in this heated encounter. As the players took to the pitch at the Independence Stadium, the atmosphere was electric, with Pirates supporters chanting, “Sida di a Pirates ge”, proudly claiming bragging rights in the stands.  While the traditional drums and chants of “Hosa BA, Hosa BA” from the Black Africa faithful were noticeably absent, the Pirates fans filled the void with a passionate display of support. The match kicked off with high intensity, with Black Africa asking all the questions during the first stanza having a ball cleared off the goal line, but it didn’t take long for the People’s Team to stamp their authority on the game.  In the 14th minute, Clifton Dreyer opened the scoring with a brilliant finish that sent the Pirates fans into a frenzy. Picking up the ball just outside their penalty box, Samuel Nkosi fed Dreyer who ran unchallenged and expertly slotted a shot past the outstretched arms of the Black Africa goalkeeper, putting his team ahead early on. As the game progressed, Black Africa struggled to find their footing, with their attackers finding it difficult to penetrate a resolute Pirates defence. The Lively Lions attempted to control the midfield but were thwarted at every turn by Pirates’ relentless pressing and tactical awareness. The second half continued in much the same vein. Despite their attempts to level the score, Black Africa failed to break down the Pirates’ backline. As the clock ticked towards the 80th minute, Pirates put the game to bed. In a moment of brilliance, Albert Sapalalo embarked on a solo run from his own half, evading several defenders before slotting home a composed finish, doubling the lead for the People’s Team. The capstone moment of the match came in stoppage time when Dorian Eiseb rose to the occasion with a goal that will be talked about for weeks to come. Collecting a loose ball on the left side of the field, Eiseb unleashed a thunderous strike that soared into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. The fans erupted once again, and the Pirates were firmly in command at 3-0. Amid the joyous celebrations that followed Eiseb’s spectacular goal, Samuel Nkosi found himself in hot water, dramatically kicking down the corner flag in a display of raw emotion. Unfortunately for him, this impetuous outburst earned him a second yellow card, leading to his dismissal from the match – an ironic twist on a day that saw his team claim a resounding victory. As the final whistle blew, it was clear that Orlando Pirates had not only captured three crucial points but had also secured a solid claim to derby bragging rights. The Ghosts now sit comfortably in fourth place on the log, and with performances like these, the prospects of a strong season are looking bright. The People’s Team has once again proven their mettle, and as the supporters left the Independence Stadium, the echoes of “Sida di a Pirates ge” reverberated through the night, signalling a victory to remember. – Southern Stream First Division FB  The post Derby Day Delight for the People’s Team appeared first on The Namibian.

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Stars overlook part-time home coaches for top job African Stars executive chairman Salomo Hei says Namibian coaches who were eyeing the club’s head coaching position did not meet a key requirement. Instead, the club opted for Lesotho national Bob Mafoso who was unveiled as substantive head coach of the Debmarine Premiership defending champions. He takes over from Ronnie Kanalelo who resigned at the end of January after just under a year with the team. Hei said local coaches who applied for the job were overlooked on the basis of being part-timers, adding that Mafoso’s profile aligns with the club’s lofty ambition of becoming a force on the continent. “We were looking for a career coach, in the sense that it’s someone who is a full-time coach. Not someone who will have another job from 08h00 to 17h00 and then run to Stars for the training,” Hei told Desert FM this week. “There was interest shown from local coaches but obviously we needed to understand [where] these coaches are in terms of where African Stars FC is going,” stressed Hei. The executive chairman said the process of employing a head coach had been concluded and that Benni Haoseb, who stood in for Kanalelo, had given management time to find a new tactician. “Haoseb steered the ship; I remember that he took charge of the team when we travelled to the north for the Eeshoke Chula Chula and KK Palace encounters where we collected maximum points,” Hei said. Bob Mafoso has been appointed as technical director of African Stars. File photo “Haoseb went on to deliver the inaugural MTC Maris Cup after disposing of Bucks Buccaneers in the semi-final and eventually Young African FC in the final showdown held at the Hage Geingob Rugby stadium.” Haoseb will revert to his assistant coach position. Mafoso inherits arguably the strongest side in Namibia and is expected to see them to a third consecutive league title, which will guarantee CAF Champions League qualification. Stars top the Debmarine Premiership log standings with 26 points at the halfway stage of the season, with FC Ongos second by virtue of an inferior goal-aggregate. Khomas Nampol in third place with 25 points look likely to be the other side challenging for honours. Hei believes Mafoso will justify the club’s decision to recruit him. “We have concluded and we were able to get the work permit for coach Mafoso. He has a Confederation of African Football (CAF) A licence and his résumé speaks volume in terms of what he has accomplished as a coach,” said Hei “Given where we are on the log standing, I think we are on the right track and we hope that coach Mafoso comes in and gives us the necessary impetus that we need to get over the line. “This is what we want as we continue our pursuit of the African champions league,” Hei continued. “We are very specific in terms of our objective, I mean African Stars compete for everything. We would want to have our identity in terms of how we want to grow our football.” Approached to comment on the issue of Stars opting for a foreign coach, seasoned mentor Lucky Shipanga commended the club for the direction they have taken. He said while local coaches have proven to be competent, the domestic football landscape requires that they have more than one income stream to survive. “Even if they have a CAF A licence, the coaches will never survive on the meager salary they get from the clubs that is why they will opt to work from 08h00 to 17h00 and thereafter consider the coaching work,” Shipanga said. “There is one thing you cannot take away from local coaches and that is the passion and the love they have for sport,” he added. Shipanga argued that “some of these clubs do not respect coaches and that most of the time the conversation between a club and coach centers around the aspect of simply ‘helping out’ not a substantive offer”, as clubs rely on sponsorships and grants to sustain operations. The post Stars overlook part-time home coaches for top job appeared first on The Namibian.

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