African Stars brings in fresh faces
Football
The NPFL champions have wasted no time in signing new personnel after having their FIFA transfer ban lifted.
African Stars Football Club has completed the signing of Unam and Brave Warriors defensive midfielder Ngero Katua and five other players in a bid to bolster their CAF Champions League campaign, as well as their next Debmarine Namibia Premiership season. The club’s string of signing announcements came within hours of the confirmation that they had their recent three-year transfer ban lifted by FIFA, after African Stars paid Peter Adiwoh the outstanding N$180 000 they owed their former Nigerian striker.
The club has also brought in Unam’s attacking midfielder Godwin Eiseb (24), as well as Rikambura Muundjua (25), a defensive midfielder from Young African FC.
A 19-year-old goalkeeper, Brango Mutjinde Rukuro from Desert Rollers, is among the new players to join the Namibian club champions. Rukuro was a member of Collin Benjamin’s senior Brave Warriors’s squad at last month’s Cosafa Cup tournament in Gqeberha.
Maurizio January from Swakopmund Football is another interesting addition. The 18-year-old was among a number of talented performers at the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup in Gobabis who were called up to Benjamin’s preliminary squad of 52 players, although not selected for the Cosafa tournament in favour of more senior midfielders.
African Stars further confirmed the signing of 20-year-old attacking midfielder/winger Jomo Tjiveta from Chora FC in Greece.
Team manager Lesley Kozonguizi says their aim is to make sure that they are able to defend their title and advance in the CAF Champions League.
“We already had these plans in mind and it was good that the ban was lifted.
“We are now able to boost our squad in order to make sure that we remain a formidable team in Namibia.
“The players we have signed all have the potential to make the difference as they join an already experienced squad that knows how to win trophies,” Kozonguizi said.
African Stars have been consecutive league champions for the past two seasons.
The club has continuously proclaimed their belief in a professional approach, their intent to continue dominating Namibian football and ambition to make inroads in continental competition.
Botswana challenger
The club will play the PstBet NFA Cup final on 27 July, before their CAF Champions League preliminary rounds kick off against Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy in September.
“The process has moved along well and we believe that we are a team capable of winning the league again.
“Our strategies and plans remain the same, because we want to make sure that the club is doing well on and off the pitch,” Kozonguizi added.
The African Stars squad is currently on Botswana for a pre-season training camp in preparations to their next season.
The club was founded in 1962 and has so far won Namibia’s top-flight league six times. Stars has also been champions of the NFA Cup five times.
They have appeared in the CAF Champions League on two occasions (eliminated in the 2019 first round and 2020 preliminary round), while competing in the CAF Cup once (1992), as well as one appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup (2014).
Mbaeva’s move to KZN
In more transfer news, South African Premier Soccer League club Golden Arrows from Durban has confirmed their acquisition of Namibian goalkeeper Edward Maova.
The 29-year-old has represented the Brave Warriors since his first call-up in 2013, including being named as goalkeeper of the tournament at the 20223 Cosafa Cup and appearing at Afcon in January this year in Ivory Coast. He has played club football for Civics and AmaTuks, among others.