Slip-ups costly in MTC Cup

PREMIERSHIP sides which will compete at the MTC NFA Cup at the weekend will try their best to avoid any slip-ups, except for Oshakati City, African Stars, Eleven Arrows and Civics, who potentially all face elimination.

City meet Stars at Otjiwarongo’s Mokati Stadium tomorrow, while Civics take on Arrows in Keetmanshoop at the J. Stephanus Stadium, a situation which will see two of the four premiership teams sitting out for the rest of the tournament if they lose.Cup competitions have proven a different ball game than league matches and Civics will be wary of Arrows, while City and Stars have an equal chance to go through.Civics, who had a shaky start to their cup campaign, coming back from two goals down to Chief Santos last weekend, will be more careful against Arrows, which under coach Lucky Shipanga vowed to go all out.Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) spokesperson Amos Shiyuka, who also plays for Civics, said there will be no second chances for any of the teams in the competition.At the draw earlier this week, Shiyuka said teams need to shape up of ship out this weekend if they intend to have any chance of reaching the final.”If teams have not fixed themselves by now, they will be knocked out.This tournament is huge and teams need to demonstrate a strong will to win as there will be no chance for ill-prepared teams,” he said.Despite that, Shiyuka observed that the quality of the game has improved a lot in the competition, saying that the sponsors were impressed overall.Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), who are the main sponsors and of which Shiyuka is the sponsorships coordinator, congratulated the players and officials who were in charge last weekend for a smooth running tournament, but urged them to continue that this weekend.”We have not been informed about any hiccups and we hope that this will carry through until the conclusion of the tournament,” said the Civics defender.Namibia Football Association (NFA) acting secretary general Barry Rukoro was also impressed with the problem-free first round, and thanked the sponsors for their valuable contribution to the development of the game.Rukoro said last weekend referees allowed players to take a water break due to extremely hot conditions at both Tsumeb and Mariental, saying that it was a good approach which should be continued.Rukoro and Shiyuka appealed for supporters in Keetmanshoop and Tsumeb to come to the stadiums in numbers, promising that the teams would dish out football of the highest standard.On the field, it will be a question of total concentration, skill and scoring goals that will count in the end.Football experts have so far expressed satisfaction with the draw, with some arguing that it was better for lower division teams to battle it out among themselves before meeting the elite-league teams in the later stages.The lower division teams that have been drawn against each other also have ambitions to reach the final of the competition, and the real test for them starts at the weekend.Mighty Gunners have a chance to pip Volcano from the Oshikoto Region to the post, as they will be playing in front of their home crowd in Otjiwarongo.Eleven Brothers, who are meeting Kwico Rundu Chiefs from the Kavango Region, also have a home advantage at Otjiwarongo, but should count themselves out if they fail to capitalise on it.Tough Guys from Omaheke will find the going tough against premiership outfit Orlando Pirates at Mariental, as the Buccaneers have a bigger support base at that venue, while Invincible will enjoy advantage in support against Ramblers at the same venue.At Otjiwarongo, Blue Boys will want to make their trip from Swakopmund worthwhile when they meet the Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW), while Black Africa should have no excuse by dismissing Major Power at the same venue.Richard Starke’s men (SKW) have proven to be a different outfit in cup competitions and this time, it will be up to their goal-getters to finish off the job before meeting another opponent in the quarter-finals.Major Power, from the Ohangwena Region, have a limited chance to oust BA from the competition, judging by the current form of the Lively Lions, who upset Blue Waters 5-3 in the first round.Former Brave Warriors goalie Ronnie Kanalelo earlier this week said he will stand in goal if he needs to, but for this match, he may just do that to show the Otjiwarongo crowd some of his acrobatic reflexes, provided he is tested.Stephanus Stadium, a situation which will see two of the four premiership teams sitting out for the rest of the tournament if they lose.Cup competitions have proven a different ball game than league matches and Civics will be wary of Arrows, while City and Stars have an equal chance to go through.Civics, who had a shaky start to their cup campaign, coming back from two goals down to Chief Santos last weekend, will be more careful against Arrows, which under coach Lucky Shipanga vowed to go all out.Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) spokesperson Amos Shiyuka, who also plays for Civics, said there will be no second chances for any of the teams in the competition.At the draw earlier this week, Shiyuka said teams need to shape up of ship out this weekend if they intend to have any chance of reaching the final.”If teams have not fixed themselves by now, they will be knocked out.This tournament is huge and teams need to demonstrate a strong will to win as there will be no chance for ill-prepared teams,” he said.Despite that, Shiyuka observed that the quality of the game has improved a lot in the competition, saying that the sponsors were impressed overall.Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), who are the main sponsors and of which Shiyuka is the sponsorships coordinator, congratulated the players and officials who were in charge last weekend for a smooth running tournament, but urged them to continue that this weekend.”We have not been informed about any hiccups and we hope that this will carry through until the conclusion of the tournament,” said the Civics defender.Namibia Football Association (NFA) acting secretary general Barry Rukoro was also impressed with the problem-free first round, and thanked the sponsors for their valuable contribution to the development of the game.Rukoro said last weekend referees allowed players to take a water break due to extremely hot conditions at both Tsumeb and Mariental, saying that it was a good approach which should be continued.Rukoro and Shiyuka appealed for supporters in Keetmanshoop and Tsumeb to come to the stadiums in numbers, promising that the teams would dish out football of the highest standard.On the field, it will be a question of total concentration, skill and scoring goals that will count in the end.Football experts have so far expressed satisfaction with the draw, with some arguing that it was better for lower division teams to battle it out among themselves before meeting the elite-league teams in the later stages.The lower division teams that have been drawn against each other also have ambitions to reach the final of the competition, and the real test for them starts at the weekend.Mighty Gunners have a chance to pip Volcano from the Oshikoto Region to the post, as they will be playing in front of their home crowd in Otjiwarongo.Eleven Brothers, who are meeting Kwico Rundu Chiefs from the Kavango Region, also have a home advantage at Otjiwarongo, but should count themselves out if they fail to capitalise on it.Tough Guys from Omaheke will find the going tough against premiership outfit Orlando Pirates at Mariental, as the Buccaneers have a bigger support base at that venue, while Invincible will enjoy advantage in support against Ramblers at the same venue.At Otjiwarongo, Blue Boys will want to make their trip from Swakopmund worthwhile when they meet the Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW), while Black Africa should have no excuse by dismissing Major Power at the same venue.Richard Starke’s men (SKW) have proven to be a different outfit in cup competitions and this time, it will be up to their goal-getters to finish off the job before meeting another opponent in the quarter-finals.Major Power, from the Ohangwena Region, have a limited chance to oust BA from the competition, judging by the current form of the Lively Lions, who upset Blue Waters 5-3 in the first round.Former Brave Warriors goalie Ronnie Kanalelo earlier this week said he will stand in goal if he needs to, but for this match, he may just do that to show the Otjiwarongo crowd some of his acrobatic reflexes, provided he is tested.