Omusati and Omaheke book Newspaper Cup semi-final berths


Host region Omaheke was joined by Omusati as the first two regions to secure semi-final spots on the first day of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup in the football division.

The 22nd edition of the Under-20 netball and football competition is being held in the cattle town of Gobabis from 29 March to 01 April 2024 at the Legare Stadium.

Omusati became the first region to book a semi-final spot after defeating Otjozondjupa and Ohangwena region in their Group C matches on Friday.

Meanwhile, hosts Omahake, who had thousands of supporters cheering them on, put up two impressive performances against the ||Kharas region, defeating them 3-0 and before moving on to record a 1-0 win over Erongo, victories that sent the thousands in attendance into wild celebrations.

With two semi-final spots already secured, it’s now up to Groups A and B to decide who takes up the final two spots. Currently, Oshikoto leads Group A with four points after two matches, while Oshana, who defeated defending champions Kavango West on Fr
iday evening, is tops Group B, also with four points.

Action for the final semi-final spots continues on Saturday, as six regions stand a good chance of occupying one of the two available slots.

Kavango West won the football division of the competition in 2023, while Khomas won the netball section in the 21st edition that was held in Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa region.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Defending champions knocked out of Newspaper Cup


Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup 2023 champions in the football division, Kavango West, were eliminated from the competition after an 1-1 draw against Kunene on Saturday.

The 22nd edition of the Under-20 competition, which is now comprised of netball and football, is being held at Legare Stadium in Gobabis from 29 March to 01 April 2024.

Kavango West opened their matches of the competition on Friday with a 2-1 win against their neighbours Kavango East but went on to lose 1-0 against Oshana in their second match on Friday evening.

In their third match of the competition on Saturday morning Kavango West crossed horns with the Kunene region. The former champions’ only hope of going through to the next round was through a win and with the hope that Kavango East and Oshana played to a draw.

In a turn of fortunes, the defending champions saw their chances of reaching the semi-finals slip away as their neighbours Kavango East outclassed Oshana with a 1-0 scoreline to finish at the top of the group with six points.

Kavango West and Oshana both finished with four points, and only the group winners advanced to the next round.

With the group stages completed, Kavango East and Oshikoto, have advanced to the next round of the competition. However, Omusati and Omaheke, who also reached the next round on Friday night, are currently under investigation for using ineligible players. They may face suspension from the competition.

Kavango West won the football division of the competition in 2023, while Khomas won the netball section in the 21st edition that was held in Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency