Buoyant Young African warns Stars

Football
Young African is embracing its underdog status ahead of this Saturday's cup final.
Jesse Kauraisa
  • 3 Days Ago 27 March 2025
Young African Football Club coach Marley Ngarizemo has cautioned African Stars not to expect an easy match when the two teams face off in the MTC Maris Cup final on Saturday.

The two sides will battle for the prestigious title, with the winner taking home a whopping N$1 million. The final will take place at the Hage Geingob Stadium, where the arch-rivals aim to put on an entertaining spectacle for their supporters.

“African Stars must not think this is going to be an easy match, because our team has prepared well and the players are highly motivated to perform in the final," Ngarizemo said.

“We know that African Stars will go into the match as favourites, while we will be seen as the underdogs. However, we are also not expecting an easy game from them, given their history of winning finals over the years.”



Preparations

Young African has been training in Gobabis, where they are currently based after parting ways with Mariental’s correctional services.

Ngarizemo lost several players following a fall-out with the correctional service, but managed to rebuild a squad that has now reached the final of the Maris Cup.

Young African secured their spot in the final by edging past Young Brazilians 1-0 in the semi-finals in Mariental, while African Stars claimed a 2-1 victory over Bucks Buccaneers.

“We know that these two teams have built a rivalry in recent history, which makes this match even more significant for us,” Ngarizemo added.

“I must say, it is a relief that several players who were unavailable earlier have now returned. That’s a big boost because we can now field a full-strength team.

"It’s a different team compared to the one that started the tournament, but we remain optimistic about our chances of winning,” he concluded.