Carlos Kambaekwa
10 March 2008
Windhoek — Namibia's Under-20 football team left it a bit too late when the Young Warriors failed to capitalize on home ground advantage in the Namibian Newspaper Challenge Cup against their South African counterparts at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts scored a last-minute penalty to salvage some lost pride with few seconds left of regulation time but could not prevent a defeat after the visitors had taken a two-goal cushion in an otherwise entertaining match that attracted a good crowd of more than three thousand spectators on a cloudy day.
The visitors had an early attempt on goal when Erwin Kaapama fouled the hard-running Michael Morton on the edge of the penalty box.
Thulane Sereko fed Kahelo Mokotjo from the resultant set piece and the burly striker dispatched a right-footed scorcher to the near left post with goal written all over it but Maxmillian Mbaeva stretched at full length to tap the goal-bound shot away for a corner.
Namibia struggled for fluency and lost ball possession at the slightest provocation while the South African Amatjitas played with more purpose and it finally paid off when Thulane Ngcepe opened the scoring with a cheeky little back heel from Daylon Claasen's low cross.
With the visitors gaining the upper hand and playing with more confidence after the goal, the hosts resorted to some dirty tactics which resulted in defender Ewaldt Kavirombo falling foul of referee Reinhold Shikongo's crime sheet after the young defender hacked down Kaizer Chiefs' midfielder Mandla Masango from behind.
Orlando Pirates' protégé Eusebio Fredericks proved a constant thorn in the flesh of the Amatjitas' rearguard with some darting runs down the right wing and combined well with the skillful Emberth Isaaks, but the duo was let down time and again by the ineffective Thomas Gariseb.
Morton had the ball in the net with a well-taken volley from the edge of the penalty box but his effort was adjudged to have been offside - much to the disappointment of the South African bench.
The ever-present Fredericks wasted an inviting chance to draw the teams level when the beefy striker bulldozed his way past two defenders after Mbaeva's long clearance bounced awkwardly - leaving Fredericks with only the keeper to beat, but the youngster shot tamely, much to the delight of Blessing Makhathini in Amatjitas' goal.
Namibia's coach Bobby Samaria tried to inject more life into his team by hauling off Kaapama for Perez Tjano ten minutes before the changeover and the move almost paid dividends with David Buys starting to make his presence felt with some deft runs down the wing.
At the other end, Mokotjo exchanged some neat passes with the enterprising Masango with the Kaizer Chiefs' young midfielder getting on the end of Sibusiso Mxoyana's cross.
The final pass fell neatly at the feet of Mokotjo but he blasted the ball well over the cross bar with the goal at his mercy.
Mbaeva was called into action for the umpteenth time when the lanky African Stars net minder denied Ngcepe from registering a brace after the South African striker was sent through by Claasen.
Substitute Tjano announced his arrival with a fierce long range shot from almost the halfway line but the ball sailed inches over the crossbar with Makhathini well at sea, but the effort was enough to send the appreciative crowd into raptures.
With half time approaching and the home crowd throwing their weight behind their team, Isaak had the crowd on the edge of their seats whenever in possession of the ball and deciding to go on a solo run - leaving a cluster of defenders for dead but Makhathini was quick off his line and prevented the pint-sized midfielder from crowning a good display with a goal. The hosts looked swift on the break and every time they entered the opposition's danger zone they appeared like scoring but the shooting was sub-standard, to say the least.
South Africa killed off any hopes the Namibians might have entertained for a comeback when Masango's acrobatic volley left Mbaeva catching flies as the ball kissed the back of his left side net - 12 minutes into the second half. The Kaizer Chiefs youngster found himself unmarked at the far post and connected well with Serero's telling cross with a scissors kick that might have left the great Pele green with envy. The goal ignited the hosts and substitute Tateati Pengeyo shot fractionally wide after twisting his marker before fellow substitute Chris-Lee Gawanab came tantalizingly close with a long range pile driver that went harmlessly past the upright.
With time running out, the Namibians threw more bodies into attack in search of some face-saving goals and the move paid off when Isaak won a penalty after the diminutive midfielder was set free by Fredericks. The pint-sized playmaker dusted himself off and stepped up to send Makhathini in the wrong direction from the resultant spot kick - but it was a little too late to stage a remarkable comeback as the referee Shikongo signalled the end of the proceeding. Final score: South Africa 2 Namibia 1.
A clearly delighted Serame Letsoaka, the South African coach praised his lads for sticking to the game plan but also lashed out at his boys for what he termed lack of aggression. "We dominated the proceedings in terms of ball possession which is good especially when playing away from home, but we lacked penetration and that vital killer instinct in front of goal and it's one department that we really have to improve on, but nevertheless, I'm happy with the overall performance of my boys."
The soft-spoken South African mentor also heaped some praise on the Namibian trio of goalkeeper Max Mbaeva, burly striker Eusebio Fredericks and slippery midfielder Emberth Isaak. Fredericks was overwhelmingly voted man of the match.
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