The past weekend saw the return of the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL), with some teams struggling to make an impression.
The biggest winner of the weekend was African Stars, who registered two victories that saw them open a seven-point gap at the top ahead of Life Fighters, who lost one match (3-1 to Stars) and won the other (6-1) against Young Brazilians.
Speaking to Nampa following his side’s 2-2 draw with Black Africa (BA), Tura Magic’s coach Timothy Tjongarero said his side still has a lot to do to compete with the top sides in the league.
“We need to work harder defensively and improve our fitness levels. Fit players are sharper and they read the game better. By the third game we should be much better in terms of fitness,” he said.
His opposite number at BA, Brian Isaacs said lack of experience and concentration cost his side maximum points over the weekend.
“We have eight guys who have not played premier league football before. So, they lack the necessary experience when it comes to managing games. Our fitness levels are way below required standards,” he said.
He added that he will work on improving the fitness of the players during the week as his side can only train once a day, while other teams train twice due to the availability of resources and time.
Paulus Shipanga of Eleven Arrows said his side did not play well over the weekend, but he was patient with them as they lack premier league experience.
“There is a lot of room for improvement in terms of fitness and performance. I have a very young, inexperienced squad who are learning every day. We will get it right as the season progresses,” he said.
Orland Pirates coach, Woody Jacobs, said while he was happy with the four points he collected over the weekend, his side still needs to improve their fitness.
“It is work in progress for my young side, which I have mixed with a few experienced teams. We are finding our feet and we are focused on getting better,” Jacobs said.
His side will meet log leaders Stars this coming weekend and he said he was hoping for a positive result.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
