NPL kicks off

TOUCH & Go will go in as favourites to win their premiership encounter against SKW in a battle of the minnows at the Khoaeb Stadium on Saturday.

The Otavi-based side have home-ground advantage and their 2-1 win over the same side in the first leg of the league gives them the edge. Both sides joined the Namibia Premier League this season and both have been struggling to keep their heads above the water against the stronger and more experienced sides.Touch & Go lost their fixture against Tigers 3-1 in Otjiwarongo a week ago and would want to make up for that loss.They have since appealed against this result, claiming that Tigers used former Black Africa striker Ruben van Wyk illegally, as he had already played for Black Africa against them in the first leg.Touch & Go argued that only players registered in the first leg are eligible to play until the completion of the first-round fixtures.Newly registered players, they say, are only eligible to play in the second leg of the league.The NPL still has to pronounce itself on the protest made by the Otavi-based side.SKW and Touch & Go, who occupied the bottom two places on the log table, have lifted themselves and pushed back Eleven Arrows and Chief Santos.But despite that, with the league now at the half-way mark, the tables can still be turned, especially by Chief Santos who had one of their worst spells in the premiership since its establishment in 1963.The team occupies a shameful bottom spot and has only accumulated five points from its 11 matches to date, while Eleven Arrows also have a disappointing seven points from their 11 matches.Table toppers Civics returned from their CAF Champions League commitments from Ivory Coast this week and will only play one match against Orlando Pirates on Saturday at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.Civics still need to play in the second leg of the competition in Windhoek despite their 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast giants ASEC Mamosas last Sunday.Pirates would aim to capitalise on any weaknesses in the Civics side.Another interesting fixture at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday is the clash between traditional rivals Tigers and Blue Waters, which can swing either way.Coastal side Blue Waters are tucked neatly in third spot on the log with 22 points from their 11 matches, compared to their counterparts who are in mid-table with only three points away.New coach Bobby Samaria still has to win a match with Tigers after he stepped down as Black Africa coach a few weeks ago, while Shepherd Murape, who has applied for the Brave Warriors coaching job, has to start showing that he can win matches on the domestic front.Blue Waters tackle Ramblers on Sunday in what could be another tough encounter, while Tigers take on Eleven Arrows on the same day.African Stars will battle it out with the two northern sides Santos and Oshakati City, and are not guaranteed of maximum points as they are playing away.The same goes for Black Africa, who take on the same opponents at the weekend.Both sides joined the Namibia Premier League this season and both have been struggling to keep their heads above the water against the stronger and more experienced sides.Touch & Go lost their fixture against Tigers 3-1 in Otjiwarongo a week ago and would want to make up for that loss.They have since appealed against this result, claiming that Tigers used former Black Africa striker Ruben van Wyk illegally, as he had already played for Black Africa against them in the first leg.Touch & Go argued that only players registered in the first leg are eligible to play until the completion of the first-round fixtures.Newly registered players, they say, are only eligible to play in the second leg of the league.The NPL still has to pronounce itself on the protest made by the Otavi-based side.SKW and Touch & Go, who occupied the bottom two places on the log table, have lifted themselves and pushed back Eleven Arrows and Chief Santos.But despite that, with the league now at the half-way mark, the tables can still be turned, especially by Chief Santos who had one of their worst spells in the premiership since its establishment in 1963.The team occupies a shameful bottom spot and has only accumulated five points from its 11 matches to date, while Eleven Arrows also have a disappointing seven points from their 11 matches.Table toppers Civics returned from their CAF Champions League commitments from Ivory Coast this week and will only play one match against Orlando Pirates on Saturday at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.Civics still need to play in the second leg of the competition in Windhoek despite their 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast giants ASEC Mamosas last Sunday.Pirates would aim to capitalise on any weaknesses in the Civics side.Another interesting fixture at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday is the clash between traditional rivals Tigers and Blue Waters, which can swing either way.Coastal side Blue Waters are tucked neatly in third spot on the log with 22 points from their 11 matches, compared to their counterparts who are in mid-table with only three points away.New coach Bobby Samaria still has to win a match with Tigers after he stepped down as Black Africa coach a few weeks ago, while Shepherd Murape, who has applied for the Brave Warriors coaching job, has to start showing that he can win matches on the domestic front.Blue Waters tackle Ramblers on Sunday in what could be another tough encounter, while Tigers take on Eleven Arrows on the same day.African Stars will battle it out with the two northern sides Santos and Oshakati City, and are not guaranteed of maximum points as they are playing away.The same goes for Black Africa, who take on the same opponents at the weekend.