Experience will come into play –
…as Ongos miss out on climbing log
Ongos Football Club missed an opportunity to go top of the Debmarine Premier League summit, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Julinho Sporting over the weekend.
Despite their aspirations, Ongos, formerly known as Tura Magic, now find themselves in second place behind defending champions African Stars, who maintain a narrow lead with 57 points from 27 matches.
The weekend started on a positive note for Ongos with a 2-1 victory over Okakarara Young Warriors, fuelling hopes of a title charge.
However, their momentum faltered with Sunday’s draw against Julinho at the Rundu Sports Stadium, leaving them trailing Stars by a single point.
Looking ahead, both teams still have a chance to win the league, but also face challenging fixtures in their final three matches.
African Stars, who have a record of 52 goals scored and 19 conceded, will square off against Young African, Orlando Pirates and Ongos in what could determine the title outcome.
Meanwhile, Ongos maintains a strong position, but must navigate past Young African, Pirates and Stars to keep their league dreams alive.
The race for the title remains wide open, with pundits like former sports journalist Carlos Kambaekwa emphasising various aspects to be considered in clinching the league.
“I’ve analysed the remaining games for the * three teams, and they are all tough for all three teams.
However, I believe the league outcome is highly unpredictable; each team has a chance to win the title. There are numerous factors at play, including experience and hunger to win, which will heavily influence the final standings. Stars may have the edge, as their wealth of experience could prove decisive in clinching the title,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, the battle for survival intensifies as teams like Life Fighters (19 points), Julinho (22 points) and Pirates (22 points) fight to avoid relegation.
Life Fighters face Gunners, Chula Chula and Unam in their final three matches, while Julinho squares off against Okahandja United, Blue Waters and Okahandja United again.
Pirates face a tough test against Ongos, Stars and Young African as they strive to secure their spot in the league for another season.
If all three bottom teams win all their remaining games, it would shake up the table significantly.
Life Fighters would move up to 28 points, while Julinho and Pirates would reach 31 points, provided they secure victories in all their remaining fixtures.
However, for all three teams to survive, it would require Okakarara Young Warriors (23 points), Civics (28 points) and Young Brazilian (31 points) to drop points in all three of their remaining matches.