Civics in tough title match

CIVICS will have their champagne bottles ready as they are set to celebrate their third successive league title victory, but they can only cork them after putting aside Tigers, in what could be a thrilling encounter at the SKW Stadium on Friday night.

Civics and Tigers have the most interesting rivalry especially in league clashes and this will be set forth when the two meet tomorrow night at 21h00 at the Olympia-based Stadium. Civics only need a point to win the league title and a draw will also send the players and fanatics into some celebration which will mark the team’s third league title in its history.They will be the first team to have achieved that feat since Namibia’s Independence and this will once again give them their fourth successive Champions League entry.Civics have 43 points from their 19 matches and their closest rival Oshakati City are on 36 points from the same number of matches.All the other ten teams only need to play three rounds of matches before the league concludes.Civics captain Amos Shiyuka said they will go for all the points in their three remaining matches.”We are not going to be complacent.Even if the league has been decided by Friday, we will go full out for maximum points to set a benchmark in terms of goals scored and a record number of points,” he said.Shiyuka, who is retiring at the end of the season, admitted that the match against Tigers tomorrow night will be tough, but regards his charges as superior in many aspects.”We are ready for any team at this stage.In fact, we are taking it step by step, but at the moment we are in great form and we just have to finish the business off with Tigers,” said the former Brave Warriors central defender.The title will be a special present for their head coach, Helmuth Scharnowski, who is currently recovering from heart surgery.Scharnowski earlier said he was confident that his team will win the title, but that remains to be seen as the boys from Donkerhoek will not give it to Civics on a silver plate.Tigers, with Jakes Amaning in charge, will be tasked with finding a strategy in stopping the flow of quality balls from the Civics midfield to the strikers.Despite the absence of their dangerman Rudi Louw in midfield, who is out for the rest of the season due to a leg injury, Civics will still be formidable with Jamu Ngatjizeko and Dumisa Jantze.The win for Civics on the day will also largely depend on their goalkeeper, Sitali Mulife, who will be expected to keep a clean slate as he has done so impressively in the league so far.Civics have only conceded nine goals in the league with Mulife in goal and this is a remarkable record for the team, that has comparably scored a massive 36 goals in total this season too.Tigers are in sixth spot on the log and their chances of reaching the top three are out of the question.They can at least make the top four to stand a chance for a good couple of thousand dollars.Tigers can also make themselves proud by prolonging the Civics title win through a victory on the night.On the same night and venue, Ramblers meet Friends at 19h00.Civics only need a point to win the league title and a draw will also send the players and fanatics into some celebration which will mark the team’s third league title in its history.They will be the first team to have achieved that feat since Namibia’s Independence and this will once again give them their fourth successive Champions League entry.Civics have 43 points from their 19 matches and their closest rival Oshakati City are on 36 points from the same number of matches.All the other ten teams only need to play three rounds of matches before the league concludes.Civics captain Amos Shiyuka said they will go for all the points in their three remaining matches.”We are not going to be complacent.Even if the league has been decided by Friday, we will go full out for maximum points to set a benchmark in terms of goals scored and a record number of points,” he said.Shiyuka, who is retiring at the end of the season, admitted that the match against Tigers tomorrow night will be tough, but regards his charges as superior in many aspects.”We are ready for any team at this stage.In fact, we are taking it step by step, but at the moment we are in great form and we just have to finish the business off with Tigers,” said the former Brave Warriors central defender.The title will be a special present for their head coach, Helmuth Scharnowski, who is currently recovering from heart surgery.Scharnowski earlier said he was confident that his team will win the title, but that remains to be seen as the boys from Donkerhoek will not give it to Civics on a silver plate.Tigers, with Jakes Amaning in charge, will be tasked with finding a strategy in stopping the flow of quality balls from the Civics midfield to the strikers.Despite the absence of their dangerman Rudi Louw in midfield, who is out for the rest of the season due to a leg injury, Civics will still be formidable with Jamu Ngatjizeko and Dumisa Jantze.The win for Civics on the day will also largely depend on their goalkeeper, Sitali Mulife, who will be expected to keep a clean slate as he has done so impressively in the league so far.Civics have only conceded nine goals in the league with Mulife in goal and this is a remarkable record for the team, that has comparably scored a massive 36 goals in total this season too.Tigers are in sixth spot on the log and their chances of reaching the top three are out of the question.They can at least make the top four to stand a chance for a good couple of thousand dollars.Tigers can also make themselves proud by prolonging the Civics title win through a victory on the night.On the same night and venue, Ramblers meet Friends at 19h00.