Do-or-die clashes scheduled for the weekend

LIMBA MUPETAMIWINDHOEKLocal coach Paulus Shipanga expects great results from his club Blue Waters, as well as top-notch refereeing when the MTC Namibia Football Association (NFA) Cup commences on Saturday.Shipanga says he is excited to play rivals Eleven Arrows at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, although it would have been nice to play the derby at the coast.His club scored six goals on Saturday in the Namibia Premier Football League against Julinho Sporting and conceded five goals on Sunday against Orlando Pirates.He says he needs to reshuffle players defensively and see which combination is good for the team.He also feels the referees need better training as some games are very big.“I expect a referee of quality and experience because little errors can cost a coach a match as well as the job.“I’m looking forward to the match and hope to go through to the next round,” added Shipanga.Eleven Arrows head coach Rudolf Bester is also excited for the matches to begin.“We are ready. Let the games begin. We are definitely going all out,” he said.The competition will be in the form of a knockout format, with clubs from the transitional league, first and second divisions all gunning for top honours.Taking the game to the peopleThe matches will be played not only in the capital, but at Tsumeb, Grootfontein and Mariental.Six of the Namibia Premier Football League teams will face each other in the round of 32, while the remaining six will do battle against lower-league sides.Participating clubs received playing gear as well as N$18 000 for preparations and logistics. Individual prizes will include a player of the series prize of N$20 000.The top goal scorer will receive N$15 000, while the goalkeeper of the series, best match official and assistant referee will receive N$10 000 each.The winning team of the tournament will walk away with N$500 000, followed by the runners-up who will bag N$250 000 while the third- and fourth-placed teams will receive N$150 000 and N$100 000 respectively for their efforts.After this weekend’s round of 32, the round of 16 will take place from 19 to 20 June. The round of eight will then continue from 3 to 4 July and the semi-finals will be on 17 and 18 July, with the final set for 31 July.For full fixtures and kick-off times, see the fixtures column.

Do-or-die clashes scheduled for the weekend

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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Do-or-die clashes scheduled for the weekend

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

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