The Khomas region hosted the maiden Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup in 2001, with the Omaheke region emerging as the inaugural champions of the country’s most sought-after developmental football tournament.
The boys from the ‘Cattle Country’ hammered the Otjozondjupa region 3-1 at Independence Stadium.
Omaheke’s victory was sealed by then captain Arnold Hoaseb and teammate Mogle Naruseb.
The 2001 tournament’s best player was Raymond Awaseb from the Hardap region, and the top goalscorer of the 2001 edition was shared by Erastus Gariseb (Otjozondjupa), Carlos Perny (Oshana) and Eino Hilekeli (Omusati).
The Omaheke under-20 regional football team continued their dominance in the 2002 edition, successfully retaining the title at Otjiwarongo, in the Otjozondjupa region.
Both Olle Khaibe (Omaheke) and Daniel Namwira from the then Kavango region were players in the tournament while Simon Pieters was the top goalscorer.
The Khomas region extensively prepared for the third edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup held at Gobabis. Their preparation paid off, as they clinched the title in 2003.
Reinhold Andimba from the Erongo region was crowned the tournament’s top goalscorer in 2003, while former African Stars’ goalminder Maximilian Mbaeva from the Omaheke region made history in the 2004 edition when he was named the tournament’s best player.
Mbaeva went on to represent Namibia in various national teams, eventually joining the men’s senior football side, the Brave Warriors.
Khomas showed skill and flair when it retained the title in 2004, held at Oshakati. Ettiene Beukes from Hardap and Bernardus Novaseb from Erongo were the tournament’s top goalscorers.
In the 2005 edition, held at Mariental, the late Patrick Jagger from the Hardap region was named the player of the tournament.
Though Hardap hosted the tournament, which was growing in leaps and bounds, it was the Otjozondjupa region that stole the limelight by lifting the trophy for the first time. Estevao Shooya from the Oshana region was named the top goalscorer.
The Erongo region hosted the 2006 edition, won by the Hardap region. Donovan Swartz from the Hardap region was the best player of the tournament. Marius Martin (Oshana), Ashley Jossop and Ras Shimafeni, both from the ||Kharas region, were the tournament’s top goalscorers.
The ||Kharas region, the host of the 2026 edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, first hosted the tournament in 2007, which was won by the Oshana region. Jerome Louis from Khomas was named the player of the tournament and doubled as the top goalscorer of the showdown.
The 2009 edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup produced one of Namibia’s football sensations, Eslin ‘Lovers’ Kamuhanga, a former Brave Warriors enterprising winger, who continued to make waves in German football. During the 2020/21 season, he rejoined TSB Flensburg in the country’s fourth division.
Kamuhanga played for Black Africa, Civics and Ramblers in the then Namibia Premier League.
The Omaheke region won the 2009 edition held in Windhoek. Kamuhanga was named the best player of the tournament and Roger Katjiteo took the golden boot.
Katjiteo went on to play for Black Africa FC, which has since been demoted to the second division. The retired deadly striker was at one stage reported to have signed for the top Gaborone outfit, Botswana Defence Force.
The 2010 edition was withdrawn, as Africa hosted the International Federation of Association Football World Cup in neighbouring South Africa that year.
The Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup was not hosted in 2008, 2020 and 2021. The tournament resumed in 2022 at Oshakati, where the Zambezi region lifted the title. Martin Mandume from the Ohangwena region was named the tournament’s best player and the championship’s top goalscorer.
In 2023, the Otjozondjupa region hosted the event, which was won by Kavango West. Giovani Gaingob, from the Otjozondjupa region, was awarded the tournament’s best player award. Pius Haingura from Kavango West took the golden boot trophy.
The 2024 edition took place in the great Omaheke region, and was won by Omusati. Teofelus Hamukwaya was the best player of the tournament while Omar Arend from the Oshikoto region was named the top goalscorer.
The Kunene region hosted the tournament in 2025 and went on to clinch the title under the guidance of Mammie Kasaona, the first and only female coach in the history of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup to lift the trophy.
The ||Kharas region will host this year’s edition, and it is yet to be seen if it will become another host region to lift the trophy.
All roads are certainly heading to the ||Kharas region during the upcoming Easter weekend to witness regional football talent at its best.
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