Tight race playing out in Southern Stream First Division

An intense battle for superiority is raging in the Namibian Football Association (NFA) Southern Stream First Division.

Mariental Sports Club is still undefeated and currently leads the pack, occupying the top position with 15 points (4 wins and 3 draws) after the conclusion of Round 7 matches.  Mariental were, however, held to a draw (1-1) by Young ‘Dakaza Boys” Brazilians in Round 7 action on Saturday. In other fixtures, Date Eleven and Try Again also played to a draw (1-1), Quiver defeated Oranjemund 3-2, Orlando Pirates defeated O&L Ramblers 1-0, while Celtic handed Blue Boys a 1-0 defeat and Friends held City Boys to a draw (1-1).

Top contenders - Mariental’s lethal strike force scored 13 goals, and their solid defence conceded only 2 goals so far. Their top marksman, Francio Freeman, with 9 goals, has, however, moved to Bucks Buccaneers in the Namibia Premiership.

“We were hit badly during the recent transitional break and lost 15 players in December. Only two players of our original squad are still with us. Luckily we are a club with a big heart and assembled a team in a very short time,” explained Mariental coach Mervin Mbakera.

Bearing that in mind, Mariental could not get the desired result that they wanted last weekend. “Considering that most of our squad only joined us recently, one could not do a lot. We are now trying to drill these players in our philosophy and principles of play so that they all have a cohesion and understanding that we can start building on,” said Mbakera, who won the Debmarine Premiership with African Stars in 2023.

He admitted, “We have derailed a bit from our strategic plan in terms of collecting maximum points per match due to the draw last weekend. Prior to that we played to a draw against Ramblers. So we dropped four points and now need to start grinding out positive results.”

Mbakera explained his playing philosophy as follows, “Goals win games, and we all know you need to win games in order to win the league. We try to balance our attack and defence. These elements must be in sync to ensure we perform to the best of our abilities. When we lose the ball, the whole team becomes defenders, and once we win the ball, everybody becomes attackers."

He added, “We are ready for our next two fixtures. There are experienced players and technical personnel in our squad. We do not have any injured players, and everybody understands the importance of picking up maximum points this weekend."

Mbakera urged the fans to come in numbers and his players to trust their abilities. “Our current form is built on hard work and receiving adequate support from our management. We work hard at training and in games. Our supporters are also phenomenal, and we need them to push the boys. The players must have faith in the potential entrusted to them by God.”

Try Again and Friends both have 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat). Due to having a superior goal difference (5), Try Again is placed second and Friends (3) third.

Suzel Cloete, the vice chairperson of Try Again, ascribed the success the club is currently enjoying to hard work and cooperation. “We are focused on our goals, support each other as a team and learn from every challenge. "It's not only about the talent but also about the discipline, dedication and willingness to be better every day that we instilled in our squad," she emphasised.

Top scorer Zannon Saal, who was acquired from Mariental at the beginning of the season, is delivering the goods and scored 4 goals so far. According to Cloete, preparation for the weekend is on track. “The team works hard, the players are focused, and we are getting some minor details right. Everyone is motivated and ready for the challenge ahead. We have some injured players, but there are capable substitutes available.”

Cloete urged the players to believe in themselves. “Stay disciplined, and play with heart and passion. Each of you has a role to play, so give your all to the team, and the hard work you put in will be rewarded. Remember our motto “Trust God in the process” for this season,” she said.

Friends coach Otto Landsberg attributed the success currently experienced by his team to a combination. “It came as a result of the input from the managing director of the club, David Kambinda, the management and the technical team. With commitment, dedication and discipline, we want to take the Friends brand to new heights,” he said.

Landsberg expressed his concern about the scoring opportunities being squandered. “Many scoring chances are created upfront, but we fail to convert some of them. We acquired the services of Sympathy Zidoro, a striker from Zambia whom I am looking forward to introduce, soon. Zidoro picked up an ankle sprain during training and is recovering,” Landsberg said.

Pohamba Hangula is the top scorer at the club with 4 goals.  Landsberg added that preparations for the next (two) matches are going well.  “We have some key players injured, and I hope to have them available for the upcoming trip.”

In pursuit - Young Brazilians is placed fourth with 12 points (3 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat), followed by Quiver on 10 points (3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats) with a game in hand, having played 6 matches.

City Boys is placed 6th with 8 points (2 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats), having played 7 games. Celtic follows in 7th position with 8 points from 6 matches (2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats) and has a game in hand.

Blue Boys is occupying the 9th position on the log with 7 points from 7 matches, followed by Orlando Pirates, also with 7 points, Date Eleven, with 6 points, O&L Ramblers, with 5 points, and Oranjemund, with 4 points.

Upcoming fixtures

Round 8 (14 February) - Blue Boys host Orlando Pirates at Mondesa Stadium (13:00), Quiver takes on City Boys at J. Stephanus Stadium (14:00), Celtic plays O&L Ramblers at Mondesa Stadium (15:00), and Mariental tackles Try Again at Presianer Sports Stadium (15:00). Oranjemund hosts Friends in Oranjemund (15:00), and Young Brazilians takes on Dates Eleven (16:00) at the J. Stephanus Stadium. 

Round 9 (15 February) - Blue Boys will play O&L Ramblers at Mondesa Stadium (11:00), Oranjemund will face City Boys in Oranjemund (11:00) and Celtic will tackle Orlando Pirates at the Mondesa Stadium (13:00). Quiver will play Friends at the J. Stephanus Stadium (13:00), Mariental takes on Dates Eleven at Persianer Sports Stadium, and Young Brazilians will face Try Again at the J. Stephanus Stadium (15:00).