Pirates face Santos in quarters

BATTLE lines will be drawn when premier league giants Orlando Pirates and Chief Santos clash in what is billed to be a quarter final screamer in the Tafel Lager NFA Cup at the end of this month.

Legal Shield Orlando Pirates has been drawn against Tsumeb-based Marathon Sugar Chief Santos who they will tackle at the Independence Stadium on March 27. A titanic battle is expected between the two sides as they form over the weekend showed that they are serious when it comes to scoring goals, irrespective of what opposition they face.Pirates went through to the quarters after thumping second division minnows Buffaloes 5-1, while Santos taught African Stars how accurate they can hit the back of the net with a 4-2 win.Pirates did not show an urgency in scoring at first in their match on Saturday, but were pressed to work harder due to consistent pressure by Buffaloes.Santos had the Stars players run in their shadows for most the first half, but slowed the pace down in last quarter of the second half, which had them struggle at the back.The quarter final clash will test the guts, perseverance and skill of players of both teams, while their reputations will also be at stake.Pirates has risen their performance since Brian Isaacs took charge about two seasons ago, while Santos want to remain supreme as can be seen from their league title ambitions.Max Johnson’s side currently sits in a favourable third spot on the log.Pirates are fifth and their dreams of clinching the league will not be made easier by sides such as Blue Waters and Civics who are at the top of the summit.The match is in essence a typical rivalry and will undoubtedly dish out ingredients of top quality football.Another quarter-final cracker will feature Ramblers against Black Africa, with BA going in as favourites.Ramblers seems to be carrying the ‘dark horses’ tag when it comes to Cup competitions, but their performance against its opponents remains superior.This will ultimately be tested when they take on BA, which on its part has turned itself into a remarkable unit that aims for victory in each match.Ramblers beat Young Chiefs with a whopping 17-2 margin to step into the quarter-finals, while BA overcame Rundu-based United Stars 2-0.The encounter is also expected to live up the expectations, provided that both teams have their full squads by that date.Meanwhile, Benfica ended on the winning side, (3-2, not Liverpool as reported yesterday) and they will face stiff competition from United Africa Tigers which had a goals galore against Caprivi-based Hippo FC.With Rusten Mogane as the new mentor at the Donkerhoek side, Tigers combined well in their various build-ups, but wasteful kicking from some of the strikers costed the team to take the scoreline beyond 20 goals.There was also delightful moment during the Tigers match as Timoteus Iipinge, who was spotted at The Namibian Newspaper Cup in Otjiwarongo two years ago, scored his first goal in great fashion, just in a minute when he came on as a sub.In another match, which is likely to go either way is when Play Safe Life Fighters lock horns with Pupkewitz Unam.The students are a surprise package in this tournament, but they should be wary of Life Fighters which edged out Blue Waters with a solitary goal to go through.Unam currently tops tops the Khomas Second Division and sits on 40 points, leading second-placed XI Stars with six points.They have the players who are truly national team material, but they need to do more on their finishing skills.The semi-finals will be played the following day, March 28, while the date for the finals will be confirmed soon.All matches will be played at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek.A titanic battle is expected between the two sides as they form over the weekend showed that they are serious when it comes to scoring goals, irrespective of what opposition they face. Pirates went through to the quarters after thumping second division minnows Buffaloes 5-1, while Santos taught African Stars how accurate they can hit the back of the net with a 4-2 win. Pirates did not show an urgency in scoring at first in their match on Saturday, but were pressed to work harder due to consistent pressure by Buffaloes. Santos had the Stars players run in their shadows for most the first half, but slowed the pace down in last quarter of the second half, which had them struggle at the back. The quarter final clash will test the guts, perseverance and skill of players of both teams, while their reputations will also be at stake. Pirates has risen their performance since Brian Isaacs took charge about two seasons ago, while Santos want to remain supreme as can be seen from their league title ambitions. Max Johnson’s side currently sits in a favourable third spot on the log. Pirates are fifth and their dreams of clinching the league will not be made easier by sides such as Blue Waters and Civics who are at the top of the summit. The match is in essence a typical rivalry and will undoubtedly dish out ingredients of top quality football. Another quarter-final cracker will feature Ramblers against Black Africa, with BA going in as favourites. Ramblers seems to be carrying the ‘dark horses’ tag when it comes to Cup competitions, but their performance against its opponents remains superior. This will ultimately be tested when they take on BA, which on its part has turned itself into a remarkable unit that aims for victory in each match. Ramblers beat Young Chiefs with a whopping 17-2 margin to step into the quarter-finals, while BA overcame Rundu-based United Stars 2-0. The encounter is also expected to live up the expectations, provided that both teams have their full squads by that date. Meanwhile, Benfica ended on the winning side, (3-2, not Liverpool as reported yesterday) and they will face stiff competition from United Africa Tigers which had a goals galore against Caprivi-based Hippo FC. With Rusten Mogane as the new mentor at the Donkerhoek side, Tigers combined well in their various build-ups, but wasteful kicking from some of the strikers costed the team to take the scoreline beyond 20 goals. There was also delightful moment during the Tigers match as Timoteus Iipinge, who was spotted at The Namibian Newspaper Cup in Otjiwarongo two years ago, scored his first goal in great fashion, just in a minute when he came on as a sub. In another match, which is likely to go either way is when Play Safe Life Fighters lock horns with Pupkewitz Unam. The students are a surprise package in this tournament, but they should be wary of Life Fighters which edged out Blue Waters with a solitary goal to go through. Unam currently tops tops the Khomas Second Division and sits on 40 points, leading second-placed XI Stars with six points. They have the players who are truly national team material, but they need to do more on their finishing skills. The semi-finals will be played the following day, March 28, while the date for the finals will be confirmed soon. All matches will be played at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek.