African Stars, Ramblers in NPL clash tonight

African Stars’ bid to win the 2013/14 MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL) title may die tonight when the team faces Ramblers at the Sam Nujoma Stadium. ‘Stalile’ are faced with a do-or-die situation, as anything less than full points will see the team slip further behind the leaders. Complicating matters for the Katutura side is the fact that it looks likely they will drop points when they continue their match against Orlando Pirates, which was abandoned on Wednesday, April 16 following an electricity outage in the area where the Sam Nujoma Stadium is situated. Stars were trailing that match by 2-0 and with the NPL having ordered the game to continue from the point where it stopped - reports suggest it was between 17 and 10 minutes to the end of the match - it looks unlikely that the team can overturn that result. But stranger things have happened in football before and Stars may yet pull a rabbit out of the hat. That, therefore, makes tonight’s match against a resurgent Ramblers side a must-win if the Reds still want to keep pursuing their title challenge; however slim their chances appear to be at the moment. Stars have 33 points from 17 games, which is six points off the pace of Black Africa, who lead the standings with 39 points from 18 matches. Despite a slow start Ramblers, who have 23 points, have enjoyed a decent spell in the last few matches, which in turn has seen them secure a mid-table place. They will thus be expected to show Stars that their recent form is no fluke. The NPL returns to the limelight with tonight’s match kicking off a programme that will include a Katutura derby clash between Black Africa and Orlando Pirates on Friday. Warmonger Black Africa’s marketing and communications officer, Cassius Moetie, again took a warmongering stance yesterday when he released a press statement regarding Friday’s match. “We want to send a stern warning to our football friends, Orlando Pirates, that we will be merciless and brutal at the Sam Nujoma Stadium come Friday evening… [It] is clear that a section of the football community forgot that Black Africa is still the reigning and legitimate champions of Namibian football and this position will remain unchanged until we have won the NPL for five successive football seasons. “The lack of respect for BA as champions needed to be stopped swiftly, that is why we unleashed the strong warning… against Tigers,” he said of a match BA won by 3-0. Moetie went on to poke fun at the rest of the teams BA are set to face and suggested his team will just walk over their opponents. “We are now aggressive and ruthless in the remaining four matches against … Pirates, Blue Boys, African Stars and Tura Magic – these games will be [a] formality… for BA,” he stated. “Any of these four clubs wishing to stop BA as we advance to our fourth successive NPL [title] will enter the lion’s den of the Lively Lions at own risk; and BA will not accept liability for the psychological and traumatic post-match consequences,” he said. Full NPL fixtures Tonight, April 30 Sam Nujoma Stadium 19:00 African Stars v Ramblers Friday, May 2 Sam Nujoma Stadium 19:00 Black Africa v Orlando Pirates Saturday, May 3 Sam Nujoma Stadium 15:00 Tura Magic v Eleven Arrows Kuisebmond Stadium 15:00 Blue Waters v United Stars Rundu Sport Stadium 15:00 Rundu Chiefs v Civics Vineta Central Stadium 15:00 Blue Boys v Tigers