Chula Chula upstage Stars

Eeshoke Chula Chula won the Dr Hage Geingob Cup after beating African Stars 1-0 at a packed Independence Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday.

It was the second time they had caused the defending league champions trouble, following a 1-1 draw in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership a month ago, and less than 24 hours after Saturday’s win, Stars announced they had parted ways with their Ghanaian coach Prince Koffie, bringing in former coach Marvin Mbakera to replace him.

“African Stars announce the amicable release of coach Prince George Koffie as its head coach with immediate effect. Marvin Mbakera will now resume his role as head coach of our beloved club,” Stars’ management said in a statement on social media yesterday.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to coach Prince George Koffie for his dedicated service to the club and sincerely wish him success in his future endeavours,” it added.

It was certainly a match which Stars could have won as they created enough scoring chances, but Chula Chula took theirs with open hands when Moses Shidolo scored towards the end of the first half, as they went on to win the first prize of N$250 000, while Stars had to settle for the runner-up prize of N$100 000.

“It was not easy. We kept chasing and fighting until the end. I’m extremely proud [of the fans], they gave us the motivation and morale to play,” Chula Chula striker George Marselinu said.

Namibian football patron Hage Geingob said the ninth edition of the tournament was “incredible and memorable” and thanked all who had contributed to its success.

“It demonstrated the fact that when we hold hands and work hard together as Namibians, we will continue to strengthen our gains of unity and development,” Geingob said in statement yesterday.

“Hage Geingob Cup showed that Namibians will rally behind their favourite football clubs and the national team when football is organized in an orderly, consistent and inclusive manner through the relevant structures.”

Stars did the early attacking with Willy Stephanus prominent down the right wing.

An early freekick of his went just over the crossbar, while another cross to Uri Mootu was saved by Chula Chula keeper Nason Ngoma.

Mootu also headed wide from a Joseph Lungu cross, but Chula Chula bided their time and gradually got into the game.

With Rivaldo Laksman and Alfeus Leevi prominent in midfield, the momentum shifted their way as Shidolo applied some pressure in Stars’ box, while George Marselinu launched some strong attacks down the right wing.

Chula finally got the opener after 38 minutes when Marselinu cut in from the right wing and unleashed a cracking shot that Stars’ keeper, Mervin Kasetura parried away, but straight into the path of Shidolo, who hit the back of the net with a pinpoint shot from the edge of the box.

Marselinu continued to torment Stars with his incisive attacks down the right wing, but Stars also came close to scoring just before half-time when a shot on the turn by Peter Adiwoh went narrowly wide.

The second half started in dramatic fashion when Stars won a freekick and Lungu’s centre into the box caused confusion in Chula’s defence, but Ngoma brought off two point-blank saves in quick succession to keep his line intact.

Marselinu had a great chance to extend Chula Chula’s lead when he broke clear, but his goalward shot somehow failed to cross the line after a bad bounce on the lush turf.

Stars laid siege to Chula’s goals in the final quarter, with Ndjiraeree Maharero, Edmund Kambanda and Ibroihim Youssouf creating problems in Chula’s box, while Kambanda also had a header from a corner well saved.

Chula Chula’s defence, however, managed to keep them at bay, while Ngoma was also crucial to their cause with his authority on the goal line.

In the closing minutes Ngoma once again punched a Stars freekick away, while he saved Riddick Gariseb’s blushes when he saved his attempted clearance to deny an own goal from a Stars corner.

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