Blom wins NFA Cup’s Top Player award

ORLANDO Pirates midfielder Klaas Blom won the Player of the Series award for the recently concluded Cell One NFA Cup competition.

The team manager of the Brave Warriors Tim Isaacs made the announcement at a press conference at the NFA’s Soccer House in Katutura yesterday, which was also attended by representatives from Cell One.Isaacs said that Blom was one of Pirates’ most consistent players, having played in more than 70 per cent of their matches in the competition, while he was also impressed with his high work rate. Blom received N$3 000 from the sponsors. Orlando Pirates, who beat Eleven Arrows in a thrilling penalty shoot-out to lift the inaugural Cell One NFA Cup trophy, also won several other individual prizes.Pirates won the Team of the Series award and N$2 000, as they were ‘a marvel to watch,’ according to Isaacs.Pirates’ coach Dawid Snewe won the Coach of the Series award and N$2 000 for ‘rescuing the team from seemingly impossible situations,’ according to Isaacs.Their manager Makalan Katzao won the Team Manager of the Series award and N$2 000, while Pirates’ keeper Heribert Kapeng won the Goalkeeper of the Series award and N$2 000. Rudolph Bester of Eleven Arrows won the Top Goal scorer of the Series award and N$3 000 for his seven goals in the tournament. Four match officials, namely Alex Tieyo, Rainhold Shikongo, Jonathan Timoteus and Alpheus Shipanga shared the Match Official of the Series award and each received N$1 000. Cell One’s Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Keeping, said they were very happy with the competition and that they would definitely be back in 2010.’It is important for us to take football to a higher level. Who could have asked for a better final? It went to extra time and then a penalty shootout, while we had a fantastic crowd of about 7 000 fans,’ he said. www.namibiasport.com.na