Headless Stars take to the road 

Log leaders African Stars head to Rundu this weekend without a head coach, following the sudden departure of Bob Mafoso.

The Lesotho Football Association earlier this week announced that Mafoso had been appointed as their new head coach on a two-year contract, but African Stars chairman Salomo Heii yesterday said that it had come as a big surprise. 

“Bob Mafoso was under contract with African Stars and we have not had any communication from the Lesotho FA, firstly about speaking to a contracted employee of African Stars and secondly by announcing a contracted coach from African Stars as their head coach. We just heard about it through the media that he was appointed, and when the news broke we spoke to him and he confirmed that he had gone for an interview, unbeknown to us at that point,” he said. 

“It’s not a matter of us wanting him to complete his contract, it’s not even  about us wanting him to come back. That’s not the point – the point is that there’s a process that needs to be respected which was not the case. If you want someone who is under contract with African Stars, you need to speak to the club who will the tell you whether he is available or not,” he added.

“We don’t know what the Lesotho FA was thinking, it doesn’t make sense. How do you appoint someone without even requesting references, what kind of a federation is that?” Heii asked.

Heii said that assistant coach Agnus Elemu and the rest of their technical team will now be in charge for the time being. 

“Agnus and the technical team that has been working with Bob will now take over for the time being. Coaches come and go, but the team remains and this is how the African Stars team has been been built over the years,” he said, adding that it was unlikely that they will appoint a new head coach before the end of the season. 

“I think there are seven weeks remaining to complete the league if we continue with the double-headers – that’s less than two months, so I don’t think it will make sense to get a new coach from a logistical point of view,” he said. 

Despite the disruption, Mafoso leaves Stars at the top of the log on 32 points from 16 matches, and in a good position to win their fourth successive league title. 

They now head north to take on Julinho Athletic and Rundu Chiefs who are both struggling in 13th and 14th places respectively, and Heii said the squad is in a good space. 

“We are going to Rundu at a very good time in terms of where we are as a club. We have played three games since the turn of the year and we have won all three of them, which really gives us a good basis to build from. We had seven players that were called up to the national team, which tells you something about the pedigree of the club, so we are looking forward to this weekend’s trip and hoping for positive results in the north east of Namibia,” he said. 

The title race, however, is far from over with Eeshoke Chula Chula (31 points) and Mighty Gunners (30) breathing down Stars’ neck. 

Chula Chula, who have shown that they are good travellers, will aim for maximum points when they take on a struggling Tigers – now at the bottom of the log – at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium tomorrow afternoon, and Young African, who have slipped down to 11th position, in Gobabis on Sunday. 

Gunners, meanwhile, will also be aiming for maximum points when they host 10th placed Bucks Buccaneers tomorrow and 12th placed Okahandja United at the Mokati Stadium in Otjiwarongo on Sunday. 

The top three clubs have now opened up quite a gap on the chasing pack with FC Ongos and Unam FC, following in fourth and fifth places respectively on 25 points each. 

They both face tough encounters when they host the coastal teams Blue Waters and Eleven Arrows, with the latter having moved up to sixth position on 23 points, while Blue Waters are eighth on 20 points. 

The battle to avoid the relegation axe is also hotting up with several teams still in the drop zone.

Basement dwellers Tigers (13 points) face tough home matches against Chula Chula and  KK Palace, while Life Fighters, Rundu Chiefs and Julinho Athletic are all just one point above. 

Fighters will be hoping to pick up some points when they host Okahandja United and Bucks Buccaneers, but the Rundu clubs face a tough proposition against Stars and Khomas Nampol.

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