Lolo bows out in style

SYLVESTER ‘Lolo’ Goraseb bowed out in style with a fine performance in his testimonial match in front of about 2 000 fans at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.

Goraseb turned out for both teams – the Class of 98 Brave Warriors team that participated at the 1998 African Cup of Nations finals in Burkina Faso and an African Legends team, which included several former continental greats like South Africa’s Doctor Khumalo, Mark Williams, Phil Masinga, Zimbabwe’s Peter Ndlovu and Angola’s Fabrice Akwa. The African Legends eventually won the match 8-6 after leading 4-1 at halftime, but although the score was of secondary importance, both sides’ players gave it their all, providing a great spectacle which will long be remembered.Goraseb and the former Brave Warriors coach Lucky Richter made some early attacks for the Class of 98 team, but the African legends took the lead against the run of play when they launched a counterattack and Mark Williams hit the back of the net with a first time shot.The Class of 98 immediately came back and there was drama in the box when a Richter shot went narrowly wide, while the Legends’ keeper Lutz Pfannenstiel tipped a shot by Berlin Auchumeb for a corner. Their pressure finally paid off when Richter ran onto a great throughpass and beat Pfannenstiel from close range. Goraseb, Congo Hindjou and Ricardo Mannetti all gave great performances in the midfield as they continued to surge forward, but the Legends showed their experience by absorbing the pressure and striking with quick counter attacks. Brave Warriors coach Tom Saintfiet and former Brave Warriors defender Amos Shiyuka kept the defence in tact, while Namibia’s former sprint star Frank Fredericks launched some quick counterattacks down the right wing. The Namibians did most of the attacking with Congo Hindjou shooting over the bar from close range while Pfannenstiel brought off a diving save from a Richter shot, but it was the Legends who went 3-1 up when the former Angolan captain Akwa scored twice from quick counterattacks. The drama continued unabated as Goraseb hit the post, while Pfannenstiel brought off a point blank save from Mabos Ortmann, and just before the break the legends went 4-1 ahead when Ndlovu caught Ronnie Kanalelo off his line and lobbed the ball into the net from 40m out.The Class of 98 were determined to win the match and struck back with two quick goals at the start of the second half. First Lucky Richter broke through the Legends’ defence with a dribbling run and then Goraseb outdid him to dribble past three defenders to slot the ball past Pfannenstiel.The Legends went 5-3 ahead when Doc Khumalo broke through a Mannetti tackle to hit the back of the net, but the Class of 98 immediately hit back when a deflected shot by Mabos Ortman beat Pfannenstiel. The best goal of the game came immediately afterwards, when Akwa completed his hattrick with a superb shot. From the kickoff, he kicked the ball from the halfway line over Kanalelo’s head and into an empty net. Kanalelo atoned for that error by bringing off a great save from Ndlovu, but the Legends went 7-4 up when Masinga headed in a cross by Mark Williams. Goraseb changed sides in the final quarter but it was the Class of 98 who finished stronger and goals by Berlin Auchumeb and Mabos Ortmann brought them right back in the game at 7-6. The Legends however had the final say when Williams found an unmarked Fredericks who hit the back of the net with a cracking shot. In a curtain raiser match Namibia’s Under 20 women’s team drew 0-0 against their South African counterparts. Both teams used the match as a warm-up for international matches next month, with Namibia due to face Botswana in a World Cup qualifying match. www.namibiasport.com.na