Geingob Cup empowers youthful players

Football
Rita Kakelo
  • 11 Months Ago
At the highly anticipated ninth Dr Hage Geingob Cup 2023, held at the Independence Stadium on Saturday, a privileged group of young sportswomen and sportsmen were invited to share the stage.

As champions of youth empowerment through sportsmanship, organisers of the Dr Hage Geingob Cup have dedicated resources to grooming young Namibian athletes by providing an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Saturday’s early match saw Gals & Goals FC dominate from the start, with some spectators reasoning that FC Ongos Ladies were not putting up a big enough fight.

Ongos (formerly known as Tura Magic, title holders of last season’s FNB Women’s Super League) did gather more momentum in the second half, but not enough to overcome the one score against them.

Shama Gure, coach of FC Ongos Ladies, said the game was challenging, but definitely worthwhile.

He also commended Namibian sports organizers for finally recognizing the abundance of talent among female athletes, and he believes the female sports sections are optimistic.

Despite the excruciatingly hot weather, the players performed admirably.



Boys match

Earlier, the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy (CBS), who went head-to-head with Riverheights, defeated their opponents 2-1 in a thrilling match.

CBS coach Henrico Botes, the former Brave Warriors striker that also became synonymous with Platinum Stars and Bidvest Wits in South Africa’s top flight, says his players play around a proper structure that helps nurture and groom their skills, along with opportunities to perform on a bigger stage.

Ronald Chari, the coach of Riverheights that compete in the Hopsol League, says he acknowledges that the occasion was indeed overwhelming for his players, noting that they are used to performing on smaller stages.

“I advised them to allow themselves to enjoy the moment and not think too much of it, while still applying pressure as it was a competition at the end of the day,” Chari said.