Keetmanshoop: The Zambezi Region's Under-20 football team began their journey in the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup with draws against defending champions Kunene and the strong Omusati Region on Friday. The tournament is currently taking place in the ||Kharas Region capital.According to Namibia Press Agency, Group D, often labeled as the 'group of death', saw all three of its matches ending in draws on the first day of the competition. Zambezi ended their match against Omusati in a one-all draw, while the defending champions Kunene played to a goalless draw against Omusati later that night.Reflecting on Friday's performance, Zambezi head coach Lennox Kanyehu shared with Nampa that his team engaged in a game of fair play against Omusati, describing it as a game of 'two-halves'. Midfielder Simasiku Muyunda, who plays for Zambezi second division leaders Bush Bucks FC, scored within the first 10 minutes of the match."We could have capitalized on the chances we created with the 4-3-3 formation, which facilit ates midfield attacks. Unfortunately, we lost momentum in the second half due to fatigue, allowing our opponents to catch up and the game ended in a draw. We aim to play better in our next match against the defending champions Kunene at 17h00," Kanyehu stated.Kanyehu mentioned his reliance on the starting lineup to secure a win within the first 65 minutes but had to make substitutions when that strategy fell short. Golden Kaonde, a defender from Katima Wanderers FC, was replaced by Musweu Lizazi, a midfielder from Blue Chiefs FC. Additionally, Namayabona Mushe, a striker from Bush Bucks, was substituted by Mateu Liunduko, a winger from Black Hawks FC."Overall, the team performed well but missed the opportunity to convert chances into goals. It's part of the game, and we need to make strategic changes in preparation for our anticipated clash with the defending champions," Kanyehu added.In other sports, the Zambezi netball team, part of Group A along with Kunene, Erongo, Ohangwena, Hardap, and Omusati, lo st their first match against Hardap 15-24. Meanwhile, Kavango East, the defending netball champions, triumphed over Oshikoto with a score of 32-15.