Omaheke down Kavango East

Omaheke beat Kavango East 2-0 in their Group B dead rubber Newspaper Cup match at the Vineta Central Sport Stadium on Saturday.

The win ensured that the three-time champions finished a consolatory second to hosts and group winners Erongo, who had secured passage to the semis with a 2-0 win in Saturday’s first match of the competition.

Erongo, who have been in fine form and hammered Kavango 3-0 in their first match on Friday, were expected to field their second strings against bottom side Kunene in their last group match later on Saturday evening.

Omaheke, who beat Kunene 1-0 in their opening encounter in Swakopmund, saved their best for last.

Man of the match Uaandjua Ndjavera broke the deadlock inside ten minutes with a neat finish when he connected with a Mlyon Kavari cross on the half volley.

Omaheke’s second came soon after when the nippy Kavari skipped past a couple of defenders and rolled the ball past Kavango keeper Nareri Munika.

That seemed to spark Kavango, who were held 2-2 by Kunene on Friday, into life as they pushed for a foothold in the match.

In fact, Kavango’s best player on the day Frans Hausiku Shikusho was denied two goals, which were ruled out for offside.

Just before the halftime whistle, Shikusho thought he had pulled one back when he swung in a free kick which eluded everybody and nestled in the back of the net, but the referee chalked it off because two onrushing Kavango players in an offside position ran across the keeper’s line of vision.

The second disallowed goal was midway through the second half when after neat interplay from midfield, Shikusho had just strayed offside before receiving the final pass which put him through to slot the ball past Omaheke keeper Ndisiro Kamaijanda.

Try as they could, Kavango could not find a way back into the match, and Omaheke comfortably saw the match out.

Man of the match: Uaandjua Ndjavera (Omaheke region).