The inaugural 2023 Bank Windhoek Ramblers Under 21 Soccer Tournament northern edition took place at Oshakati over the weekend, marking a significant milestone for football in the region.
The tournament, organised by Bank Windhoek, serves as a platform for young players from northern Namibia to showcase their skills and compete at a competitive level. The event witnessed intense competition from Friday to Sunday at the Uukwangula Sports Stadium, with brilliant attacking football on display.
Efidi Football Academy (FA) upset the tournament favourites A-Class FA 1-0 in a a fiercely contested final battle.
The tournament featured eight teams representing various regional football academies and associations: Diva FA, Okatana FA, Efidi FA, Ondangwa FA, Elnur FA, Alma FA, WE Academy, and A-Class FA.
“These teams brought together talented young players eager to make a name for themselves in the football world,” the organisers said in statement yesterday.
The tournament’s group stages proved tightly contested, as teams displayed their skills and played with remarkable attacking prowess.
After a closely fought group phase, A-Class FA, Diva FA, WE Academy, and Efidi FA emerged as the semi-finalists. A-Class FA faced WE Academy in the first semi-final, while Efidi FA went head-to-head with Diva FA in the other.
The tournament organisers expressed their satisfaction with the success of the event.
The Bank Windhoek Ramblers U/21 Tournament provided a much-needed platform for the young footballers of northern Namibia to exhibit their talent and compete at a high level. The overwhelming response and the exciting matches witnessed during the tournament have left the organisers eager to return next year with an even bigger and better edition.
Ramblers Soccer Club chairperson Sedric van Turah said the success of this inaugural tournament has set a solid foundation for the growth of football in Oshakati and the surrounding regions. The winners of the three top prizes received footballing equipment.
“On behalf of the Ramblers executive, I thank the management team of Bank Windhoek, who engaged with us to plan the Oshakati-based tournament. These types of games go a long way to ensure that youth soccer, up to the under-21 level, gets a platform for our national team scouts and premier league teams to be offered the opportunity to see the talent showcased from where the soccer community’s next superstars can be selected from,” said Van Turah.
The Bank Windhoek Ramblers Under 21 Soccer Tournament gives exposure to young players who got limited game time in the national second division, first Division, or premier league. “The young players carry much discipline, focus and determination. We wish them all the best,” said Bank Windhoek’s corporate social responsibility and sponsorship manager Audrey Mostert.
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