HOTSPURS Football Club were arguably the best team among the two first divisions of Namibian football last season after winning the Southern Stream First Division, and they are poised to hot up things in the premiership this season.
Hotspurs will be part of the upcoming 2008/09 season alongside Northern Stream winners Chief Santos, who also bounced back to the top flight after a spell in the lower ranks. Hotspurs, from Soweto (Windhoek), had a good run in the NFA/MTC Cup where they gave defending champions and Cup runners-up African Stars a run for their money in the quarter-finals.They narrowly lost 2-1 in Walvis Bay.Despite his club reaching the quarter-final, Hotspurs owner and former player Theopellus Tjikuere was still unhappy with the financial part of the Cup competition.”We were not given a single cent although we reached the quarter-final, on top of that we where given N$2 000 to travel to Walvis Bay and for me it was a joke.Imagine what you will do with that money.”Despite that, Tjikuere said after several attempts the club has finally achieved its objective of playing in the premiership.”Previous seasons we always ended up in the top three finishers, today we achieved what we wanted.”Tjikuere further stated that his club could have been in the premiership three seasons back if it was not for favouritism from the Namibian Football Association (NFA) and its administration which made it difficult.”When Friends FC from Rehoboth where promoted to the NPL in the 2006-07 season what happened was that we won the Southern Stream, but they (Friends) were given points from games they did not play.And on top of that, it was also because we were seen as a feeding club to Tigers, so the NFA did not like us.”Tjikuere added that he is not happy with the current state of football in Namibia, especially within the mother body.”There is no professionalism within the NFA, imagine as I am speaking Hotspurs are the only club in the Southern Stream First Division not to have any representative in the NPL/NFA committee, which is not fair,” he lamented.Tjikuere also sent out a warning to other clubs in the premiership this season.He said Hotspurs were not there to make up the numbers, and would be serious with each game.”Hotspurs is there to stay for good, we have young talent and experienced players in the team and there is no doubt we can compete with other clubs,” he said.He said smaller clubs tended to be relegated because referees were biased and favoured bigger teams.On where the club will train for next season, Tjikuere said they would look for a venue before the start of the league.He also revealed that former Tigers captain Stanley Kwambi had returned to Hotspurs after a long spell with the Shandumbala outfit.”He is not the only player returning.There are also other players who started their career here, so this is a club that had produced good players in recent years.In 1997, Hotspurs, who were also known as Grinaker football team, had produced players such as Zondi Shiwayu, Max Shafashike and Stanley Kwambi.”Today the club relies on the new generation of players who helped to overcome some former premier league clubs such as Friends, Deportivo Alaves and Desert Rollers to book a place in the NPL next season.”The crop of young players includes Itope ‘Veron’ Thomas, Fabianus Shilongo, Sam Temus, Thomas Rooy, Lucky Cooper, Wynand Goraseb, Edward ‘Fadiga’ Asino and Peka Hamukwaya.Hotspurs captain Itope Thomas could not agree more with his boss.”We will finish in the top eight, even further,” he claimed.Hotspurs’ promotion to the NPL increases the number of Windhoek clubs in the top flight from seven to eight.The other teams are this season’s league winners Orlando Pirates, Black Africa, Civics, SKW, African Stars, Tigers and Ramblers.The northern part is occupied by Oshakati City and newly promoted and former NFA Cup and league champion Chief Santos from Tsumeb.Mighty Gunners from Otjiwarongo will be the other team from outside, while Eleven Arrows will be representing the coast.Former double premiership champions Blue Waters will play in the first division next season after finishing second from the bottom in the NPL.They were joined by Fedics United, who only had a season in the premier league.Hotspurs, from Soweto (Windhoek), had a good run in the NFA/MTC Cup where they gave defending champions and Cup runners-up African Stars a run for their money in the quarter-finals.They narrowly lost 2-1 in Walvis Bay.Despite his club reaching the quarter-final, Hotspurs owner and former player Theopellus Tjikuere was still unhappy with the financial part of the Cup competition.”We were not given a single cent although we reached the quarter-final, on top of that we where given N$2 000 to travel to Walvis Bay and for me it was a joke.Imagine what you will do with that money.”Despite that, Tjikuere said after several attempts the club has finally achieved its objective of playing in the premiership.”Previous seasons we always ended up in the top three finishers, today we achieved what we wanted.”Tjikuere further stated that his club could have been in the premiership three seasons back if it was not for favouritism from the Namibian Football Association (NFA) and its administration which made it difficult.”When Friends FC from Rehoboth where promoted to the NPL in the 2006-07 season what happened was that we won the Southern Stream, but they (Friends) were given points from games they did not play.And on top of that, it was also because we were seen as a feeding club to Tigers, so the NFA did not like us.”Tjikuere added that he is not happy with the current state of football in Namibia, especially within the mother body.”There is no professionalism within the NFA, imagine as I am speaking Hotspurs are the only club in the Southern Stream First Division not to have any representative in the NPL/NFA committee, which is not fair,” he lamented.Tjikuere also sent out a warning to other clubs in the premiership this season.He said Hotspurs were not there to make up the numbers, and would be serious with each game.”Hotspurs is there to stay for good, we have young talent and experienced players in the team and there is no doubt we can compete with other clubs,” he said.He said smaller clubs tended to be relegated because referees were biased and favoured bigger teams.On where the club will train for next season, Tjikuere said they would look for a venue before the start of the league.He also revealed that former Tigers captain Stanley Kwambi had returned to Hotspurs after a long spell with the Shandumbala outfit.”He is not the only player returning.There are also other players who started their career here, so this is a club that had produced good players in recent years.In 1997, Hotspurs, who were also known as Grinaker football team, had produced players such as Zondi Shiwayu, Max Shafashike and Stanley Kwambi.”Today the club relies on the new generation of players who helped to overcome some former premier league clubs such as Friends, Deportivo Alaves and Desert Rollers to book a place in the NPL next season.”The crop of young players includes Itope ‘Veron’ Thomas, Fabianus Shilongo, Sam Temus, Thomas Rooy, Lucky Cooper, Wynand Goraseb, Edward ‘Fadiga’ Asino and Peka Hamukwaya.Hotspurs captain Itope Thomas could not agree more with his boss.”We will finish in the top eight, even further,” he claimed.Hotspurs’ promotion to the NPL increases the number of Windhoek clubs in the top flight from seven to eight.The other teams are this season’s league winners Orlando Pirates, Black Africa, Civics, SKW, African Stars, Tigers and Ramblers.The northern part is occupied by Oshakati City and newly promoted and former NFA Cup and league champion Chief Santos from Tsumeb.Mighty Gunners from Otjiwarongo will be the other team from outside, while Eleven Arrows will be representing the coast.Former double premiership champions Blue Waters will play in the first division next season after finishing second from the bottom in the NPL.They were joined by Fedics United, who only had a season in the premier league.
