• Sport

Kunene crowned Newspaper Cup Champions

• 1 Day Ago

Mamie Kasaona has made history as the first female coach to win the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, guiding Kunene Region to their first-ever title in the tournament’s history. It also marked the first time the region progressed beyond the group stages.



The Kunene head coach masterminded a series of impressive victories, including triumphs over former champions Khomas (2-0) and Oshana (1-0), before sealing the title with a 2-0 win over Kavango West in the final.



Star forward Brundihno Kandirikiria was the hero of the final, scoring in both halves — including a composed spot kick in the second half — to hand Kunene a historic victory. His standout performances throughout the tournament earned him the Player of the Tournament award, and he also finished as joint top scorer.



Top Five Goalscorers:

Michael Jonas (Oshana) – 6 goals



Brundihno Kandirikiria (Kunene) – 6 goals



Vince Xander Roman (?Karas) – 3 goals



Matengu Namayabona (Zambezi) – 3 goals



Johan Frans Kooper (?Karas) – 1 goal



Oshana Take Third Place

Oshana defeated ?Karas 3-1 in the third-place playoff, with goals from Petrus Tangeni (2) and captain Michael Jonas, while Damean Engelbrecht netted for ?Karas.



Netball Crown for Kavango East

In the netball final, Kavango East emerged champions after overpowering Omaheke 40-21.

Ohangwena beat defending champions Khomas 42-33 to secure third place.



Kavango East head coach Frans Ndara praised the team's work ethic during preparations, while Greg Makari, coach of Omaheke, admitted disappointment and vowed to bounce back stronger next year.



Celebrating Unity Through Sport

At the prize-giving ceremony, Kunene Governor Vipuakuje Muharukua applauded the spirit of the event:

“We enjoyed our sports. I did not hear of fights, anyone being robbed or anything like that. We all just came together and enjoyed watching our young stars entertain us. We should all be proud of that.”