Namibia: Dama FC Graduates to Second Division
Dama Football Club are to be crowned champions of the Namport Khomas Third Division when the league ends, with three games remaining and eleven points between them and their opponent on the log.
Silas Katangolo, head coach of Dama FC said they are fortunate to have won the cup; the type of work they put in comes with results.
“Some feelings are hard to explain, it comes with a lot of emotions. I am definitely a happy coach. We still have three games remaining with 11 points difference. We only lost two games and won 13; despite winning the league, we still want to win our remaining games.”
Katangolo mentioned that the team’s preparations were key this season, which yielded results for them as the road was not that easy. “You know it is never an easy thing to win the league. Imagine all 12 teams fighting for the same thing. What actually helped us was the way we’ve prepared,” he said.
“Looking at their final log standing, one can clearly see how difficult the league is. If you are not well prepared, any team can be relegated in this league. We will definitely do some reinforcement moving up to the second division.”
Chairman of the club, Appolos Shimakeleni, said although this was the plan from the beginning, it is still unbelievable. “The icing on the cake is that we have won with three games to go. The planning started early and it required a lot of work. We had a lot of sessions, planning how we will approach the season in terms of playing style, as well as in terms of logistics. We also introduced video reviews, where we review how the players are performing and where they can improve.”
The chariman feels the performance was excellent and to only lose two games the entire season, due to a lapse in concentration in the second half, was commendable. “The coaches immediately worked on this, and the team was soon back to winning ways. We were on top of the log 90% of the entire season.”
As a new dawn is on the horizon for them for next season, the club will be back in preparation mode after the league officially ends with some much-needed time off the pitch. “After the league ends, we will take it easy. The first goal is to ensure survival in the second division, but one thing is for sure: we are not going there just to add up numbers.”
Dama FC has also been a regular in the MTC HopSol Youth League, with all age groups represented in that league, which has served as a foundation for emerging talent and allowed them to develop a number of youngsters through a competitive youth league. “A number of our players have come through our youth structure from U/13 to the senior team. We are monitoring our youngsters in U/15 and U/17 in Hopsol, and those who are ready will be gradually integrated into the senior team. Our mission is to develop young players. We won the league with a squad average age of 22, with the youngest players being 15 and the oldest being 27. After Tura Magic, we have the second youngest squad in the entire league,” Shimakeleni said.
Coach Katangolo, on his part, will be back to laying another blueprint for his charges, as he has been studying the second division for some time now. It’s a new challenge. “I have watched and played some of the teams, and I kinda know what to expect. Looking at their final log standing, one can clearly see how difficult the league is, if you are not well prepared, any team can be relegated in this league. We will definitely do some reinforcement,” he concluded.
By New Era.
