All set for FNB Cup semi-finals

THE draw for the FNB Cup semi-finals was made in Windhoek yesterday, pitting Black Africa against Eleven Arrows and Ramblers against Cymot SKW.

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium on November 17, with Black Africa taking on Arrows at 16h00, while Ramblers will take on Cymot SKW at 18h00. After the draw was made at FNB’s head office in Windhoek yesterday, all four remaining teams in the competition expressed satisfaction with the outcome.Black Africa v Eleven Arrows “I am happy with the draw.We studied Arrows’ style of play when we played at Walvis Bay during the first round and we will be ready for them,” said Black Africa coach Smedley Engelbrecht.”I know their strengths and weaknesses and we will now develop a strategy to take them on,” he added.Black Africa beat Golden Bees and Mighty Gunners at the coast to progress to the semi-finals and will fancy their chances against Eleven Arrows in front of their home fans.The former Cup Kings of Namibian football have struggled over the past two seasons with a young team, but players like Donovan Swartz, Gella Kandjimi, Jerome Louis and Da Costa Angula are maturing fast.Engelbrecht, who won two Cup titles with Black Africa when he previously coached them in 2004, believes that success is not far away.”I’m excited to be back with Black Africa.I was a player and a coach with them and it’s great to be back.They have given me another opportunity.I have a vision to succeed and I feel good about the challenge,” he said.Arrows’chairman Gabriel Tjombe was also confident that his team could beat Black Africa on November 17.”We are ready for anyone.At this stage all the teams are strong, so it doesn’t really matter who we play, but I am confident that our players can pull it through,” he said.Arrows, however, will be without their star striker Rudolph Bester, who leaves on November 10 to attend trials with a Premier League club in Serbia.Bester first attended trials with South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but although he impressed the coach, he was eventually not selected.”The Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund was interested in Bester, but he was not the type of player they were looking for,” Tjombe said.Bester is currently with the national team en route to Saudi Arabia for their friendly on Friday and shortly after his return will once again leave for trials in Serbia.But Tjombe said they had enough depth in the squad.”Bester has only played one match for us this season, so we have done well without him.We have enough depth in the squad to replace him,” he said.Ramblers v Cymot SKW Ramblers coach Dave Fransman said it was a fair draw, but that they would first concentrate on upcoming league matches before drawing up a strategy for the SKW encounter.Fransman praised his players for a brilliant performance in their quarter-final victory against Orlando Pirates last Sunday, when they had to play with ten men for more than half of the match.”We thought the red card against Dylan Mieze was very unfair, but we regrouped and told the players at halftime that they had to work overtime.They responded brilliantly and when we saw that some were exhausted, we made some positional changes.We managed to cut Pirates’ midfield out of the game and I thought a player like Jeremia Baisako had a great game.Michael Pienaar, Bernadine Mbilizi and of course our goalie Lukas Hashiti were also great, but everybody put in a tremendous effort,” he said.SKW’s assistant coach Rolf Beiter said he didn’t mind who their opponents would be.”If we want to win we the cup we will have to be prepared for anyone, so it doesn’t really matter.I’m just very glad that the match will take place in front of our home fans in Windhoek,” he said.Beiter said there was not much to choose between Ramblers and SKW and that they weighed up evenly.”It will be a fifty-fifty game, but if all our players are fit we can beat them,” he said.”Ramblers have strong and physical players so we will have to prepare and devise a strategy for that,” he added.Namibia SportAfter the draw was made at FNB’s head office in Windhoek yesterday, all four remaining teams in the competition expressed satisfaction with the outcome.Black Africa v Eleven Arrows “I am happy with the draw.We studied Arrows’ style of play when we played at Walvis Bay during the first round and we will be ready for them,” said Black Africa coach Smedley Engelbrecht.”I know their strengths and weaknesses and we will now develop a strategy to take them on,” he added.Black Africa beat Golden Bees and Mighty Gunners at the coast to progress to the semi-finals and will fancy their chances against Eleven Arrows in front of their home fans.The former Cup Kings of Namibian football have struggled over the past two seasons with a young team, but players like Donovan Swartz, Gella Kandjimi, Jerome Louis and Da Costa Angula are maturing fast.Engelbrecht, who won two Cup titles with Black Africa when he previously coached them in 2004, believes that success is not far away.”I’m excited to be back with Black Africa.I was a player and a coach with them and it’s great to be back.They have given me another opportunity.I have a vision to succeed and I feel good about the challenge,” he said.Arrows’chairman Gabriel Tjombe was also confident that his team could beat Black Africa on November 17.”We are ready for anyone.At this stage all the teams are strong, so it doesn’t really matter who we play, but I am confident that our players can pull it through,” he said.Arrows, however, will be without their star striker Rudolph Bester, who leaves on November 10 to attend trials with a Premier League club in Serbia.Bester first attended trials with South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but although he impressed the coach, he was eventually not selected.”The Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund was interested in Bester, but he was not the type of player they were looking for,” Tjombe said.Bester is currently with the national team en route to Saudi Arabia for their friendly on Friday and shortly after his return will once again leave for trials in Serbia.But Tjombe said they had enough depth in the squad.”Bester has only played one match for us this season, so we have done well without him.We have enough depth in the squad to replace him,” he said.Ramblers v Cymot SKW Ramblers coach Dave Fransman said it was a fair draw, but that they would first concentrate on upcoming league matches before drawing up a strategy for the SKW encounter.Fransman praised his players for a brilliant performance in their quarter-final victory against Orlando Pirates last Sunday, when they had to play with ten men for more than half of the match.”We thought the red card against Dylan Mieze was very unfair, but we regrouped and told the players at halftime that they had to work overtime.They responded brilliantly and when we saw that some were exhausted, we made some positional changes.We managed to cut Pirates’ midfield out of the game and I thought a player like Jeremia Baisako had a great game.Michael Pienaar, Bernadine Mbilizi and of course our goalie Lukas Hashiti were also great, but everybody put in a tremendous effort,” he said.SKW’s assistant coach Rolf Beiter said he didn’t mind who their opponents would be.”If we want to win we the cup we will have to be prepared for anyone, so it doesn’t really matter.I’m just very glad that the match will take place in front of our home fans in Windhoek,” he said.Beiter said there was not much to choose between Ramblers and SKW and that they weighed up evenly.”It will be a fifty-fifty game, but if all our players are fit we can beat them,” he said.”Ramblers have strong and physical players so we will have to prepare and devise a strategy for that,” he added.Namibia Sport