Oshana take Newspaper Cup

OSHANA became the first northern region to scoop the popular Namibian Newspaper Cup when they sneaked in a late goal for a 2-1 win over Khomas at the Keetmanshoop Showgrounds monday.

The winner came in the form of a perfectly executed free kick in the 85th minute off the boot of A. Gikuya, who slotted the ball into the roof, beating the fancied Khomas goalie, Sidwell Grootboom.Khomas were already trailing in the 22nd minute after S.Haipinge opened the scoring which took them to the break with a 1-0 lead.Khomas red-hot striker Jerome Louis, who walked away with the Player of the Series award at the end of the match, tried in vain to find the net in the first half, a tendency he carried trough in the second half.Oshana”s coach Cascas Angula, who on the field is the main target man for Oshakati City, a premiership side, used the right tactics as his defenders were effective in veering off the challenge from a tricky Khomas frontline.Oshana captain Immanuel Haitota was the main stumbling block for Khomas in the Oshana defence.His tireless runs and effective clearances kept his team in the mix of things as they held on to their 1-0 lead.Despite that, Oshana were unfortunate to concede a goal through a penalty after a foul in the box.Khomas forward Edward Ndikale was the man who pulled the trigger to equalise in the 64th minute.The goal by Ndikale was crucial for Khomas as they started playing with more vigour, increasing the pace of the game.But Oshana were weary of the pace especially in midfield, with the Khomas flankers launching attacks that caused confusion in the Oshana box.But the northern side kept their nerve and made sure that their goalkeeper was protected at all costs.Oshana could have gone 3-0 about three minutes before the break if two clear goal-scoring opportunities could have been taken well by Leonard ‘Akwa’ Shigweda.The second half was a bit rigid in all departments, with occasional stoppages due to minor injuries.Water breaks that were introduced also broke the momentum of the game, but that did not deter the players as they still pushed for goals.With the sides still tied by the halfway mark of the second half, a total of six players, three from each side, were already booked for foul play.The sizeable crowd that packed the Keetmanshoop Showgrounds seemed to have concluded that the match was destined for a draw, as the clock was ticking with most of the play not centred around the midfield.But that was not to be as Oshana got a free-kick just about six metres from the main box.It was the moment of truth for Gikuyu, who was the main man for dead-ball situations for his side.His shot went past a wall of Khomas players and settled perfectly into the net to give his side what was the possible winner as the clock was ticking away.The last five minutes was a nightmare for Khomas as they pushed in vain for an equaliser, but that was not to be.Khomas, who are two-time champions of the trophy, at least got their goalkeeper named as the Goalkeeper of the Series because of his terrific goalkeeping skills and his authoritative stature in goal.But for Oshana, it was a great victory as they had a tactical side which had most of their attempts at goal on target.In their first match, Oshana swept aside Kunene with a 3-1 win, before they sent the fancied Omaheke side home in a hard fought 3-2 penalty-shootout win.They were tied at one-all after full time.The win over Omaheke gave them entry into the final, while Khomas were 4-2 winners over Ohangwena in their first match, before they beat Karas 6-4 to progress to the final.Oshana are N$15 000 richer, while Khomas settled for N$7 000.The tournament also attracted a record attendance, with at least 6 000 people present on the opening day.Gikuya, who slotted the ball into the roof, beating the fancied Khomas goalie, Sidwell Grootboom.Khomas were already trailing in the 22nd minute after S.Haipinge opened the scoring which took them to the break with a 1-0 lead.Khomas red-hot striker Jerome Louis, who walked away with the Player of the Series award at the end of the match, tried in vain to find the net in the first half, a tendency he carried trough in the second half.Oshana”s coach Cascas Angula, who on the field is the main target man for Oshakati City, a premiership side, used the right tactics as his defenders were effective in veering off the challenge from a tricky Khomas frontline.Oshana captain Immanuel Haitota was the main stumbling block for Khomas in the Oshana defence.His tireless runs and effective clearances kept his team in the mix of things as they held on to their 1-0 lead.Despite that, Oshana were unfortunate to concede a goal through a penalty after a foul in the box.Khomas forward Edward Ndikale was the man who pulled the trigger to equalise in the 64th minute.The goal by Ndikale was crucial for Khomas as they started playing with more vigour, increasing the pace of the game.But Oshana were weary of the pace especially in midfield, with the Khomas flankers launching attacks that caused confusion in the Oshana box.But the northern side kept their nerve and made sure that their goalkeeper was protected at all costs.Oshana could have gone 3-0 about three minutes before the break if two clear goal-scoring opportunities could have been taken well by Leonard ‘Akwa’ Shigweda.The second half was a bit rigid in all departments, with occasional stoppages due to minor injuries.Water breaks that were introduced also broke the momentum of the game, but that did not deter the players as they still pushed for goals.With the sides still tied by the halfway mark of the second half, a total of six players, three from each side, were already booked for foul play.The sizeable crowd that packed the Keetmanshoop Showgrounds seemed to have concluded that the match was destined for a draw, as the clock was ticking with most of the play not centred around the midfield.But that was not to be as Oshana got a free-kick just about six metres from the main box.It was the moment of truth for Gikuyu, who was the main man for dead-ball situations for his side.His shot went past a wall of Khomas players and settled perfectly into the net to give his side what was the possible winner as the clock was ticking away.The last five minutes was a nightmare for Khomas as they pushed in vain for an equaliser, but that was not to be.Khomas, who are two-time champions of the trophy, at least got their goalkeeper named as the Goalkeeper of the Series because of his terrific goalkeeping skills and his authoritative stature in goal.But for Oshana, it was a great victory as they had a tactical side which had most of their attempts at goal on target.In their first match, Oshana swept aside Kunene with a 3-1 win, before they sent the fancied Omaheke side home in a hard fought 3-2 penalty-shootout win.They were tied at one-all after full time.The win over Omaheke gave them entry into the final, while Khomas were 4-2 winners over Ohangwena in their first match, before they beat Karas 6-4 to progress to the final.Oshana are N$15 000 richer, while Khomas settled for N$7 000.The tournament also attracted a record attendance, with at least 6 000 people present on the opening day.