NPL defending champions seeking Confederations Cup win
Aili Iilonga
Namibia Premiership league defending champions, African Stars will seek to reignite their African journey on Saturday when they will host CAF Confederations Cup defending champions Raja Casablanca of Morocco at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in the 2018/19 CAF Confederations Cup.
The Namibian champions, who narrowly lost out to Orlando Pirates of South Africa in December to bow of out the CAF Champions Second Round, are taking on another footballing giant of Africa, Raja Casablanca of Morocco this time in the Confederations Cup Playoff Round. Stars and Raja are in contention to become one of the sixteen teams which will qualify for the group matches from the additional 1/16th finals will be divided in four groups of four each and guaranteed at least US$ 275 000.
Stars CEO Lesley Kozonguizi was confident that the team has prepared well enough for the massive encounter and encourages fans to come in numbers and support the team.
“We are representing Namibia and we want to leave a mark on the continent and we have so far done that with Pirates despite losing out. We get Raja now and this is one of the top clubs on the continent and we will see how it goes”.
Stars started training on Monday at the NFA Technical Centre with their Comoran striker Youssouf Ibroihim joining the party and so did their captain Ronald Ketjijere and many others.
The first leg match will be played on Saturday, 12 January 2019 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium with kick off set for 16h00.
Stars will travel to Morocco to play Raja in the second leg on Sunday 20 January, 17h00 local time at the Grand Stade Marrakec in Marrakech, the venue for the Brave Warriors’ first two group games at the 2018 CHAN finals. Stars striker Panduleni Nekundi scored at that venue and captain Ketjijere led the Brave Warriors.
