KHOMAS Nampol head coach Novata Paulus believes more of her players should be in the Brave Gladiators set-up on the basis of their bruising 2-1 NFA Women’s Super Cup win over Tura Magic Ladies at Gobabis on Saturday.
Goals by Faustina Amutenya and Shirley Cloete either side of a stunning Thomalina Adams strike ensured the police team triumphed over an opponent boasting the country’s best attacking talent.
“I’m so excited and very proud. It’s not easy winning against a team that trains every day. We barely train. We are at work all day. We don’t have a field and facilities to be training all the time. But today, we came together very well,” an elated Paulus exclaimed.
She talked up her charges with an eye on Namibia’s Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying two-legged ties against Zimbabwe looming.
While not the most pleasing on the eye, some of the Nampol players’ robust qualities will come in handy against physical sides like Zimbabwe.
“I think the national selectors should take more players of Nampol to be in the national team. If they don’t, then I’m worried,” Paulus added.
Led by Zenatha Coleman, arguably the country’s best female footballer to date, and having steam-rolled their way into the final, the Magicians’ spells had little effect on the rugged Nampol side during the match played in stifling heat as a precursor to the Debmarine Namibia Cup final at the Legare Stadium.
Coleman was barely given a sniff all match. She was hounded and crowded out at every turn as her side resorted to taking pot shots from distance and struggled to break down Nampol’s solid rearguard.
“We scored two goals, but my defence won us the game. I have a strong defence. They were brilliant. I changed my tactics. They are used to [Twelikondjela] Amukoto on the right wing, but I moved her into the middle to be cutting out those passes,” Paulus explained.
“I sent two players to mark Coleman. I sent Amukoto and Stella Williams to be on her the whole match. The moment she got the ball, both were all over her. There was no chance for her to shoot or dribble past them. It worked very well.”
As winners, Khomas Nampol received N$20 000, while Magic got N$10 000. The Galz and Goals team, who won the third place play-off on Wednesday, got N$6 000,with V-Power Angels in fourth earning N$4 000 for their efforts.
The individual honours were as follows:
The player of the tournament prize went to Zenatha Coleman (Tura Magic Ladies); the best goalkeeper was Lydia Eixas (Galz & Goals); Ndapewa Katuta (Khomas Nampol) was the best defender; the best midfielder was Memory Ngonda (Tura Magic); best young player was Lydiana Nanamus (Galz & Goals); Vistorine Shangula (Tura Magic) and Beverly Uueziua (Galz & Goals) were the top goal scorers; veteran administrator Julien Garises won the chairperson’s excellence award; the coach of the tournament was Novata Paulus; and Antoinette Tsuses (Erongo region) the best team manager.
