WINDHOEK — African Stars, the Debmarine Namibia Premiership and Namibia Football Association Cup champions, continued their impressive pre-season form with a 1-0 victory over Botswana’s Township Rollers in a friendly match at Independence Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. The match was part of the Namibian team’s preparations for the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League preliminary qualifiers.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the game served as a critical tactical exercise for African Stars as they gear up for a significant challenge against Jwaneng Galaxy in the CAF Champions League preliminaries. The first half saw the Township Rollers controlling the game initially, but momentum shifted as African Stars began to dominate, though they were unable to convert their chances, leaving the match goalless at halftime.

In the second half, numerous substitutions were made by both teams, injecting fresh energy into the game. The deadlock was broken 20 minutes into the second half by Reinhardt ||Gaseb, a substitute for African Stars, who scored following a rebound off the Township Rollers’ goalkeeper.

Despite efforts from the Botswana team to level the score, the disciplined defense of African Stars held firm, securing them another pre-season victory. This win adds to a successful pre-season run for African Stars, who have recorded three wins and one draw since July against teams from Botswana and South Africa.

In a post-match interview with the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa), African Stars head coach Ronny Kanalelo expressed satisfaction with the performance, noting it as a timely and beneficial test ahead of their CAF commitments. “This was a good game to assess what we have been practicing. We tried our level best to allow every player in the squad to play, and the players gave it their all. I am happy with the outcome, but we still have a mountain ahead of us in Botswana where we will be competing in the preliminary qualifiers,” Kanalelo said.

He further noted that the team is set to travel to Botswana on Sunday to continue preparations for their first leg of the CAF Champions League Preliminary clash scheduled for September 17, 2024, against Jwaneng Galaxy, a team that reached the group stages of the tournament last season.