Vasilias reigns supreme in eFootball qualifier
eSports
The top four athletes from each of the first and second sets of qualifiers will face off in the national final round to determine Namibia's eFootball champion.
In an impressive display of skill and passion for eFootball, the first set of the Namibian national eSports qualifiers concluded in Windhoek last weekend. The e-sports competition, organised by the Namibian Electronic Sports Association (NESA) and held at the MTC Innovation Centre in the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)’s HTTPS Building, witnessed intense competition among seasoned eFootball athletes vying for top honours.
Among the standout performers were Mandume Kaukungwa, known in the eFootball realm as Vasilias, who claimed the overall title. Kaukungwa clinched the coveted first place after beating Thomas Ikela, recognised as King Ikela, 3-2 in a heated final.
Following closely behind was Luka Bauleth (El_Vasquinho), who claimed the third spot on the podium despite a 2-0 elimination by Ikela.
The accolades did not end with just the thrill of victory, as substantial cash prizes awaited the winners.
Kaukungwa seized the N$2 000 grand prize, with Ikela and Bauleth earning N$1000 and N$500, respectively, for their remarkable performances.
The player in fourth position, Alpha Sankoh (CyberTitan_Alpha), last weekend clinched the last of the places up for grabs to advance from the first qualifier to the national finals. Sankoh was beaten 2-0 in the bronze final by Bauleth.
Vasilias said: “We have a lot of talented individuals in eSports in the country. However, most of them do not play beyond their own console screens and streams to participate in tournaments like this one.
“I urge them to go out there and benchmark their skills against fellow gamers, as eSports is a potent industry that can take you places. We need more of these events to grow a bigger community and essentially build eSports in Namibia. Let’s show the world how good we are!”
The ambience at the Innovation Centre was electric as contestants demonstrated their prowess in the virtual arena. The atmosphere was already building while they first immersed themselves in intense pre-match practice sessions, fine-tuning their strategies and reflexes before the kick-off.
Damien Britz, NESA’s events coordinator, said the format of the competition was double-elimination, where matches were ranked best-out-of-three, with a winners’ and losers’ bracket.
“Players who won throughout had a chance to receive a free pass to the grand finale.”
eFootball champion
The excitement doesn’t stop here, but continues as the spotlight shifts to the upcoming second set of qualifiers scheduled for 6 April at the same venue.
The top four athletes from the first and second sets of the qualifiers will face off in the nationals finals to determine Namibia’s eFootball champion, who will advance to Morocco for the African Regionals.
The African Regionals promise an exhilarating showdown, pitting the champions from various nations against each other. The victors will subsequently advance to the world event in Saudi Arabia, where they will confront the globe’s finest eFootball athletes in a battle for supremacy.
Britz said: “We are also hosting national qualifiers online throughout April for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.
“After determining our four finalists in the online and physical events, they will be awarded national colours for the African Regionals. Esports is all about competition and international camaraderie.”