MTC Hopsol Youth League moves into knockout stages 

The MTC Hopsol Youth Football League entered the knockout stages over the weekend when the first leg of the Round of 16 matches took place. 

After having started in April, the league has continued every weekend over the past five months, except for school holiday breaks, with about 1 800 children competing from u9 to u19 level. 

There were no major upsets on Saturday as most of the favourites secured comfortable first leg victories to give them the advantage ahead of the return leg matches.

In the u19 competition, Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy (CBSA) has been in great form, finishing the league unbeaten with 10 wins and one draw, to top the log on 31 from a possible 33 points. 

On Saturday they continued their winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Windhoek Gymnasium, to give them a two-goal advantage going into their return leg match. 

Riverheights Football Academy and Ramblers were CBSA’s main title rivals during the league campaign as they finished joint-second on 25 points each, but they found the going tough in Saturday’s knockout matches.

Ramblers just managed to beat a determined Pioniers Boys 2-1, while Riverheights were held to a 2-2 draw by Dama Soccer Academy. With Pioniers Boys finishing sixth on the log on 13 points and Dama SA eighth on 12 points, both teams now are in with a chance of causing an upset in the return leg next weekend. 

In the u15 competition, the top contenders all started off with comfortable victories. 

The league was divided into two groups of nine teams each, with Athletic Club Football Academy I (ACFA I) finishing on top of Group A on 22 points, after winning seven and drawing one of their eight matches, while SKW came second on 21 points, DTS third on 18 points, and Riverheights fourth on 14 points. 

Kasaona Football Academy topped Group B on 21 points after seven wins and one loss, followed by DS Football Academy on 19 points, ACFA II on 15 points, and Swallows on 13 points. 

In Saturday’s first leg play-off matches, ACFA I got off to a great start with a 6-0 victory against Döbra, while Kasaona FA received a bit more resistance from Jan Mohr Secondary School before easing to a 2-0 victory.

There were goals galore in the other u15 knockout matches, with SKW beating Dama Soccer Academy 6-1; Swallows beating MH Greeff 6-0; DTS beating Windhoiek Gymnasium 4-1, and DSFA beating Ramblers 3-0. 

All these winning teams should comfortably progress to the next round, but the tie between ACFA II and Quest 11 is still delicately poised as they played out a goalles draw on Saturday, while Baller Boys have a slight chance of a comeback despite losing their first leg encounter 2-0 to Riverheights.