UNFANCIED outfit Okahandja United took a surprise lead in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership after beating Tigers 2-1 on Sunday.
Coupled with their goalless draw against Orlando Pirates at Rehoboth on Saturday, they are now unbeaten after three matches and top the log on seven points.
On Sunday, in a rather scrappy and unexciting match, Okahandja took the lead midway through the first half when they caught Tigers on the counterattack, with Donaldson Makaru beating the offside trap and finishing off clinically.
Tigers hardly troubled Okahandja’s defence, but stepped up their attacks after the break, with Moses Shidolo, Patrick Amutyakala and Rewaldo Prins all coming close to scoring.
Okahandja’s goalie, Malakia Handudi, however, kept their lead intact with some fine saves, but Tigers’ pressure finally told when Ananias Haitembu smashed in a loose ball from a corner with 10 minutes to go.
Amutyakala also came close to scoring when he shot narrowly wide from a counterattack and they were made to pay for their wastefulness when Okahandja’s captain Uaondjarure Nakambare headed in the winner from a goalmouth scramble with five minutes to go.
The win put Okahandja on top of the log on seven points, closely followed by Life Fighters and Julinho Sporting a point behind, but despite being the early pace setters, their coach Richard Gariseb was not too pleased with their performance.
“Honestly speaking, my team didn’t come to the party today, but luckily we scored the two goals to win the match. I’m not happy about the play, but I appreciate the points very much – Tigers were the better team today, but I’m glad that we won,” he said.
“This is our second season in the Premier League and our start so far is better than the last time we played in the NPL. We are still unbeaten and have now collected seven points from three matches, so it’s a good start for us. But we will not get carried away, we just want to cement our place in the league for now,” he added.
Life Fighters and Julinho Sporting, who both have a match in hand, are second on six points each, while Blue Waters and Eleven Arrows follow on five points each after they both collected four points at the Jan Wilkens Stadium in Walvis Bay over the weekend.
Blue Waters beat Civics 2-1 and drew 1-1 against Citizens, while Arrows beat Citizens 1-0 and drew 1-1 against Civics.
African Stars follow on four points after being held to a 1-1 draw by Tura Magic at the Unam Stadium on Saturday.
Stars took an early lead when striker Koko Katjimune’s backward header looped over Tura keeper Davin Muvangua into the goal, and Stars maintained their pressure with Ronald Ketjijere, Willy Stephanus, Amazing Kandjii and Dynamo Fredericks all shining in midfield.
Tura Magic, however, grew in confidence and started creating some chances of their own after the break. A freekick by Ikuaterua Hoveka just went over the crossbar; Nicodemus Haikali headed narrowly wide from a Vilho Nghikumwa cross, and Stars’ keeper Kamaijanda Ndisiro brought off a diving save from Nehemia Ndengu.
With a minute to go, Tura finally got the equaliser when Ndengu ran onto a defence splitting throughball by Graigory Cloete to beat Ndisiro from close range.
Stars’ players vehemently protested, claiming the goal was offside, while some of their fans threw beer cans from the stands, but the referee was unmoved as Tura Magic claimed a share of the spoils. Magic’s stand-in coach Timo Tjongarero said their team was still inexperienced and that they will still get better.
“We have a very young squad, so we are trying to get them experience at this level, and I think they will get better after a few more games. Their mentality is good, they want to learn, they want to play and that’s what we want from youngsters. I think they gave a good account of themselves, like Nehemia, a young boy who came in from our second division team, and did the business for us. That’s what you want to see, that’s what development is all about,” he said.
In other matches over the weekend, Young Brazilians and Unam drew 0-0, Pirates ad Mighty Gunners drew 1-1, and the struggling Tigers lost 1-0 to Mighty Gunners.
