Girls’ football comes alive!

NAMIBIAN women football will come alive when the annual national championships will be the centre of attraction at Windhoek’s SKW Stadium this weekend.

The opening ceremony will start at 07h00 on Saturday, while the first match is expected to kick off at 08h00.The third- and fourth-place matches are billed for Sunday at 08h00, while the main final will be decided at 10h30.The championships will bring together all the top players from five regions and three teams who will compete for a N$20 000 winners’ prize.The five regions are Karas, Kavango, Kunene, Caprivi and Omusati, while the three teams are defending champions Okahandja Beauties, Rehoboth Queens and the newly formed Jacqui Shipanga Football Academy.Women football co-ordinator and member of the NFA executive committee Jacky Gertze told The Namibian Sport yesterday that all the competing teams will walk away with something in the pocket after the event.The runners-up will get N$10 000, while the third- and fourth-place finishers will go home with N$5 000 and N$2 500 respectively.She said Beauties, who have won the competition twice before, will be put through a tough test by Queens and the JS Academy this time around.’They have the players who can do the job, but their preparations were not convincing to make them outright favourites to retain the title,’ she said.Currently, Beauties’ leading goal-getter Kleintjie Fredericks is trying to get fit for the event as she is recovering from a serious knee injury, while their number one goalkeeper, Bonita Eixas, has jumped camp and joined the JS Academy. Both Fredericks and Eixas are national team players and their possible absence will have an effect on the performance of their team.Fredericks is the Brave Gladiators’ leading striker alongside Stella Williams and last season top-scored for her side in the Khomas Women’s League, blasting home 49 goals in total.But for Queens, it will be a chance to hit the limelight as they boast with players such as Maureen Kooper, who is steady in defence, Tanja Lambert who is a formidable right winger, while the speedy Rushanda Plaat will be searching for goals in the central attacking role.Gertze believes that Queens have a chance to wrestle the title from Beauties who look vulnerable this year, but warned that they should never be underestimated as they can spring a surprise.She said the JS Academy also look promising, but they will have to dig deep to stay afloat in the championships.Gertze said there won’t be any individual prizes these time around, saying that winning players tend to squander the money on unnecessary items. ‘We are only going to give special medals, cash and a trophy for the winners, while the runners will also get medals. The rest of the teams will get money.’The fifth- and sixth-placed teams get N$1 500 and N$1 000 respectively, while seventh-placed team walks away with N$600. The last-placed team makes N$400. corry@namibian.com.na