Windhoek Gymnasium were knocked out of the MTC HopSol Youth League knockout stages after they couldn’t overcome a stubborn, clinical Warriors Football Academy side at the Trustco United Football Field this past weekend.
The 1-1 scoreline wasn’t enough for Windhoek Gymnasium to progress to the next round, meaning they have to wait until next season to compete in this tough youth league again.
At half-time, Windhoek Gymnasium coach Ephraim Tjihonge warned his boys to protect their lead as their opponents grew more confident as the game progressed.
“I spoke to the boys; I told them what to expect. And what I said to them is what happened. So whenever we give instructions or say things to these guys, they must learn to take it on board and do as we request,” he said.
“Look what happened now; that equalising was what I told them at half-time. If you guys keep on relaxing the same way you are, these guys will bounce back, they’ll get a goal, their confidence will go up, and then they’ll push for the second one. Luckily, they didn’t get the second one, but I think we had a good season.”
Tjihonge was pleased with the boys’ performance throughout the season despite not having enough time to prepare them adequately, as school responsibilities always take priority for his charges.
“This might be our last game. I think the boys had a good season. We just built on from here going into the new year.
Given that we are a school, not an academy, we don’t train three or four times a week like the academies. We also have breaks due to exams and achievement tests, and so on. I’m happy with the outcome of our teams this year.
The bigger groups ended in the quarter-finals. It’s just our U/15 that didn’t reach the quarter-finals. The younger ones are there fighting as well, so I think we are on the right track,” he noted.
Tjihonge explained that a lot of progress has been made, as his boys have also competed in tournaments abroad, giving them a better understanding of the game.
“But I think I’ll start by bringing back the school players to the school, and then we’ll be able to compete. As you guys know, we are going to the Gothia Cup in Sweden; we are going to Bayhill United, Stellenbosch FC, and Cape Town.
So, we need a lot of quality to go and compete on the bigger stages. So, we’ll start by getting the players back from the clubs and then prepare them to play on the bigger stage.”
He added, “We just have to keep on going. I don’t want to say it’s a pity that we are a school, but we have to stick to the school rules and move with them.
I think we have to get all our players back from the clubs. I think I’ll start there.
Take nothing from the guys who are playing now, but there is a lot of quality at the clubs. Very thankful that they are developed by these clubs and so on.”
Fair game
Warriors Football Academy coach Kauningua Kukuri felt it was a fair game. His team went into the second half 1–0 down but bounced back and kept applying pressure until the final whistle.
“I think it was a fair game. We started off, as you say, on the back foot.
I think players coming late is another factor as well,” he said.
The coach also pointed out that the distance his boys face when playing far from Katutura makes transport a major factor.
“The distance for some of our teams from Katutura is too far. Most of the youngsters are there. So, reaching out to fields like Trasco is never easy logistics-wise,” he mentioned.
“I think in the second half, the team was full. They picked up; they started knocking the ball around. Tiki-taka. They managed to catch up, at least by one goal, and the score ended 1-1. So, I think it was a good game.
I’m happy with a team that is able to come back. I’m happy with the way they played. They didn’t give up. They didn’t look down on themselves.
The passes, the connections, and all of that. I think it was a very good game.”
Going forward, Kukuri wants more commitment from his boys and a bit more consideration when fixtures are planned for teams who live far away.
“I think organisers also need to put some thought into all these games that are a bit distant from the location.
If we can, maybe we can get some games on that side. We have NFA; the field is also idle there. We can work out how to manage those logistics.
But coming this side is a big hassle. That always takes a knock on teams, but overall, I’m happy with the team.
I think next season, maybe U/17, we’ll look forward to that as well,” he concluded.
-slunyangwe@nepc.com.na
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