Tigers train keeps rolling

Tigers kept their winning momentum with yet another win while Orlando Pirates lost their grip on second place and Eleven Arrows joined Rundu Chiefs as the bottom-placed side after the weekend’s action in the Namibia Premier League (NPL). The log leaders maintained their unbeaten record with a 4-2 win over Ramblers on Friday night thanks to first-half goals by Panduleni ‘Kaka’ Nekundi and Protash Kabwe and second-stanza strikes by Petrus Naftalie and Benson Shilongo. The result meant Tigers are now on 15 points; five clear of their nearest rivals. Speaking after his team’s match against Ramblers, Bobby Samaria stated that while Tigers are yet to play some of the main contenders for the league, winning against the ‘smaller’ teams is vital. “You have to pick up points against the so called smaller because Black Africa, Pirates and African Stars only make up three games,” he said. “So you must accumulate your points against these other teams and when you play them you have to make sure that you don’t lose,” he added. But while Samaria was pleased with getting another win under his belt, he was none too happy with Tigers’ defending after the team conceded two goals –the first time that has happened this season. “The first goal [by Donovan Swartz] was pure class as [Ramblers] open us but for the second goal the guys were static and the only player that moved was the goalkeeper and that is wrong,” he reflected on the goal scored by Alfie Ndyenge in the dying stages of the game. The result also left Ramblers languishing dangerously close to relegation zone in 10th spot. “It was a disappointing result,” stated Ramblers’ coach, Jeremy Zimmer. “They scored from our mistakes and that is not good... but the two goals we scored will bring confidence to the players,” Zimmer said before adding that it is still too early to say that his team is in trouble. “We are not yet in trouble and nobody is panicking over the results... it’s still early and we’ll continue to fight,” he said. In trouble Meanwhile, Eleven Arrows’ coach, Wallace Doeseb, has admitted his team’s recent results have left him worried after they fell to a 2-1 loss to Black Africa on Saturday. “We have only won one game, which is 20% of our games so far and that is not good at all,” he said after an own goal by one of his players and a sublimely taken goal by Klaas Blom saw Black Africa race to a 2-0 halftime lead. By Arrows came back strongly in the second half and found a consolation goal through former Windhoek United striker Marcello ‘Skapie’ Haraseb – something that Doeseb found pleasing. “The boys were fighting until the end and that is one of the positives... But the result had meant we need to catch up and so the next four games are a must win for us,” he said. Elsewhere, Pirates dropped vital points as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a Rundu Chiefs side that finished the match with just ten men after one of their players received a red card. African Stars were humbled 3-1 by Blue Waters in Walvis Bay while Civics picked up a 1-0 over Blue Boys in Swakopmund. Tura Magic found it tough in Rundu as they succumbed 3-0 to United Stars.