First Division resurrected

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISATwo Southern Stream First Division coaches, Oliver Risser and Eddy Mangoumou, expressed relief about the return of the first division over the weekend.Still in a transitional period until the end of July, First Division football kicked off after an absence of more than three years.New kids on the block Standard Bank DTS HopSol Football Club sealed a 2-0 victory over Windhoek United in the opening match of the transitional Southern Stream First Division on Saturday afternoon at the DTS Sport Grounds in Windhoek.Former Brave Warriors and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Oliver Risser, who coaches and also plays for the DTS team, said he was delighted about the return of action and the victory.“It is something really good for football and the players given that these guys have not had these privileges for a while now.“The good thing is that football is back and one can just hope that it will remain this way.“One can see that the fans and football players are hungry for the game and we just hope that this spirit can continue going into the actual season in August,” Risser said. Already in the round of 16 of the MTC Namibia Football Association Cup, the star-studded team showed glimpses of why they are rated as one of the teams to beat during this transitional period.“We have had a couple of competitive matches so far, but I am just happy with the way the team played against Windhoek United.“I am not happy with the officiating because I was given a red card, but I can just hope that they will improve,” Risser added.Former African Stars player Eddy Mangoumou, who now coaches Windhoek United, also shared his delight with the return of first-division football.“I am very pleased with the fact that football is back and we are able to express ourselves on the touchline.“I am looking forward for the actual season and I can only hope that we can push this team towards the premier league.“As for now we can just assess the situation and be hopeful that football never stops again,” Mangoumou said.The transitional league has four groups, namely Southern Stream, Coastal Stream, Central Stream and Inland Stream.Each group consists of three teams, with matches played on a round-robin basis (home-and-away) for group stage.The winners and runners-up of each group will proceed to the quarterfinal playoffs on a knockout basis.

First Division resurrected

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-15

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First Division resurrected

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-15

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