MTC HopSol youth league enters knockout phase
The MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League (YSL) is entering another exciting phase of its 10th anniversary season.
The competition is now moving into the knockout stages in the U/17 and U/19 age groups while the younger divisions continue their battle for places in the next round.
With about 650 matches already played across the U/9, U/11, U/12, U/13, U/15, U/17 and U/19 age groups, the league has once again demonstrated the sheer scale of Namibia’s biggest youth football development platform.
Despite the impressive number of matches already completed, there is still plenty of football to be played before the league reaches its conclusion in early November.
The MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League had about 650 matches played across the age groups. The U/17 and U/19 group league matches concluded before the school holidays and we are going into the knockouts in those age groups, while we still have to conclude the group matches in the younger age groups,
– said current Brave Warriors coach and league co-founder Collin Benjamin.
Benjamin expects the number of matches to continue climbing significantly before the season comes to an end.
There are still a lot of matches to be played before we conclude in early November,
– he added.
Decade of creating opportunities
This year carries special significance for the MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League as it celebrates 10 years since its inception.
For Benjamin, reaching the milestone is more than simply marking another year on the football calendar. It is evidence of the league’s sustained commitment to creating opportunities for young
Namibians through football.
It is really special for the league to be in its tenth-year tenure. It speaks volumes,
– Benjamin said.
From its beginnings, the league’s objective has remained firmly centred on youth development, providing young players with a structured environment in which they can compete, improve and showcase their abilities.
The aim was always to create a platform where young players can showcase their talent, help groom the talent that Namibia has to offer and hopefully these players can be better persons in the future for our country.
The league now has more than 2 300 registered players, compared to approximately 850 during its inaugural season.
On an annual basis, the competition has also consistently delivered more than 700 matches, highlighting both its size and the growing appetite for organised youth football.
Massive operation behind the scenes
While supporters see the action on the pitch, there is a considerable logistical operation taking place behind the scenes to ensure that hundreds of matches are played safely and efficiently.
The number of matches scheduled during a particular weekend depends largely on field availability and the competition schedule.
Benjamin recalled the contrast between the opening matchday and one of the busiest weekends of the season.
It differs according to the schedule and availability of fields. For example, on the first matchday we had 10 matches played on one field. However, on Matchday 14 we had 70 matches played over six fields across the city.
Each venue requires a team of officials and support personnel to keep the matches running smoothly.
There would be around four referees plus a coordinator on one field. We have the media team that’s on the ground and we have medics rotating the fields,
– he said.
It is an enormous undertaking, particularly when multiple venues are operating simultaneously.
It’s quite hectic, but the team is intact and everyone knows that the players are the main protagonists,
– he added.
That focus on the players has remained central to the league’s philosophy, with coaches, referees, coordinators, medical personnel, media teams and organisers all playing their respective
roles in creating an environment where young footballers can concentrate on developing their game.
The formula behind a decade of success
So, what has kept the MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League going year after year?
For Benjamin, the answer is straightforward: teamwork and the continued support of sponsors.
Teamwork,
– he said when asked about the league’s winning formula.
The sponsors, obviously, because without them there is no MTC HopSol YSL.
The longevity of the competition is therefore a collective achievement involving organisers, sponsors, clubs, coaches, parents, officials and most importantly, the young players who
continue to turn up week after week.
Every match now counts
With the U/17 and U/19 divisions entering the knockout stages, the intensity is expected to rise considerably.
The group-stage safety net is gone and every result could determine whether a team progresses towards the ultimate prize or sees its campaign come to an end.
It’s going into the knockouts; every match counts and all the players, teams and coaches have their eye on the prize. It’s an exciting phase.
For the players, these matches provide an opportunity to test themselves under pressure, an important part of their football education as they continue their journey through the ranks.
Meanwhile, the younger age groups still have group-stage battles to complete, meaning the excitement will continue across the league’s various divisions.
Challenges
Running a competition of this size is never without challenges.
With hundreds of players, coaches, parents, clubs, officials and other stakeholders involved, differing personalities, expectations and backgrounds can sometimes create hurdles.
Benjamin, however, believes communication has been key to keeping the league moving forward.
In such an organisation where one deals with different characters from different backgrounds, there are always hurdles,
– he acknowledged.
But we are pleased that we are always able to have conversations and engagements with all the stakeholders to sort these out.
It is this willingness to communicate and find solutions that has helped the league navigate the challenges that come with operating one of the country’s largest youth sporting programmes.
Building for the next decade
As the MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League celebrates its first decade, the focus is already on what lies ahead.
For Benjamin, the vision is not simply about producing better footballers.
The league has a much broader role to play in the development of young people.
The hope is for the competition to remain a platform where young players can grow both on and off the pitch.
To continue to be a platform that young ballers, male and female, can use to sharpen their skills, fall in love with the game and learn life skills through the game of soccer,
Benjamin said.
That vision perhaps best captures what the MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League has sought to achieve over the past 10 years.
From approximately 850 players in its first year to more than 2 300 today and from a relatively modest beginning to a competition producing more than 700 matches annually, the league has grown into a significant part of Namibia’s football development landscape.
Now, with the knockout phase upon them and another season heading towards its November conclusion, the next generation of Namibian footballers has another opportunity to write its own chapter.
And if the first 10 years are anything to go by, the future of the MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League looks just as promising as the young talent taking centre stage on the football fields.
Staff Reporter
Captions:
Photo 1: Boys are back in action.
Photo 2: Let the games begin.
Photos: Ligola Amutenya
FIXTURES
Wednesday
SPC vs Swallows U/15 Jan Mohr Field 15:30 Group B
JAFC a vs Prolific SC U/15 Jan Mohr Field 16:45 Group B
Thursday
City Pillars vs SKW U/17 Jan Mohr Field 15:30 Group A
Kasaona FA vs Prolific SC U/19 Jan Mohr Field 16:45 Match 2
SPC vs Ramblers U/15 St Paul’s Field 15:30
Group B
CBS vs SPC U/19 St Paul’s Field 16:45 Match 1
Friday
Baller Boys vs Kasaona FA U/17 Jan Mohr Field 15:30 Group A
DTS vs SKW U/19 Jan Mohr Field 16:45 Match 3
Saturday
Brave SC vs SKW U/9 Jan Mohr Field 8:30 Group B
Rhynies Stars vs Ramblers U/9 Jan Mohr Field 9:35 Group B
JAFC c vs Warriors FA U/9 Jan Mohr Field 10:40 Group B
Mandume PS vs SKW U/9 Jan Mohr Field 11:45 Group B
Quest 11 vs Rhynies Stars U/9 Jan Mohr Field 12:50 Group B
Warriors FA vs Ramblers U/9 Jan Mohr Field 14:00 Group B
JAFC b vs Bricks FA U/9 Jan Mohr Field 8:30
Group A
JAFC a vs Kasaona FA U/9 Jan Mohr Field 9:35 Group A
Swallows vs DTS U/9 Jan Mohr Field 10:40 Group A
Eros vs Bricks FA U/9 Jan Mohr Field 11:45 Group A
MH Greef vs JAFC at U/9 Jan Mohr Field 12:50 Group A
KFA vs Swallows U/9 Jan Mohr Field 14:00 Group A
JAFC a vs SKW b U/11 Jan Mohr Field 8:30
Group B
DTS vs Riverheights FA U/11 Jan Mohr Field 9:35 Group B
Mandume PS vs WHK Gym U/11 Jan Mohr Field 10:40 Group B
Warriors FA b vs Eros PS U/11 Jan Mohr Field 11:45 Group B
Riverheights FA vs SKW b U/11 Jan Mohr Field 12:50 Group B
MH Greef vs Mandume PS U/11 Jan Mohr Field 14:00 Group B
Warriors FA vs DTS b U/11 Jan Mohr Field
8:30 Group A
Ramblers vs Bricks FA U/11 Jan Mohr Field 9:35 Group A
Rhynies Stars vs SKW at U/11 Jan Mohr Field 10:40 Group A
DTS b vs Kasaona FA U/11 Jan Mohr Field 11:45 Group A
Swallows vs Ramblers U/11 Jan Mohr Field 12:50 Group A
SKW A vs Bricks FA U/11 Jan Mohr Field 14:00 Group A
Kasaona FA vs JAFC U/12 JAFC Arena 8:30
League
PAY vs SKW U/12 JAFC Arena 9:35 League
Swallows vs DTS U/12 JAFC Arena 10:40 League
Warriors FA vs MH Greef U/12 JAFC Arena 11:45 League
Kasaona FA vs SKW U/12 JAFC Arena 12:50 League
Warriors FA vs Swallows U/12 JAFC Arena 14:00 League
Quest 11 vs SKW U/13 JAFC Arena 8:30 Group
A
Onaanda FA vs Riverheights FA U/13 JAFC Arena 9:35 Group A
Kasaona FA vs JAFC U/13 JAFC Arena 10:40 Group A
Pamoja Football vs WHK Gym U/13 JAFC Arena 11:45 Group A
Rhynies Stars vs Riverheights FA U/13 JAFC Arena 12:50 Group A
Kasaona FA vs Quest 11 U/13 JAFC Arena 14:00 Group A
Ramblers vs MH Greef U/13 Jan Mohr Field
8:30 Group B
KFA vs Bricks FA U/13 Jan Mohr Field 9:35 Group B
Eros PS vs Ramblers U/13 Jan Mohr Field 10:40 Group B
Warriors FA vs Baller Boys U/13 Jan Mohr Field 11:45 Group B
Bricks FA vs DTS U/13 Jan Mohr Field 12:50 Group B
Eros PS vs ORS U/13 Jan Mohr Field 14:00 Group B
SKW A vs Bricks FA U/15 SKW B field 8:30
Group A
Pamoja Football vs JAFC b U/15 SKW B field 9:35 Group A
Dama SA vs Baller Boys U/15 SKW B field 10:40 Group A
Brave SC vs DTS U/15 SKW B field 11:45 Group A
Bricks FA vs JAFC b U/15 SKW B field 12:50 Group A
Baller Boys vs KFA U/15 SKW B field 14:00 Group A
Top Goal Scorers
U/9
SKW Tangi Iipumbu 31
MH Greef Albertus Titus 15
Brave SC Kleolume Ndakenango 15
Brave SC Fillemon Iipinge 14
Ramblers Kael Vilander 13
JAFC Arion Beukes 11
MH Greef Delvin Haoseb 10
JAFC Rivano Diergaardt 10
Ramblers Glen Nashandi 10
U/11
DTS Caleb Wellington 11
Warriors FA Proverbs Kubukeli 11
MH Greef Perola Hernandez 10
DTS Joseph Kafidi 9
JAFC Golden Huiseb 9
JAFC Onearl Mukurundini 8
SKW Mochely Kaereho 8
Warriors FA Hosky Gowaseb 8
U/12
Warriors FA Osvaldo Gariseb 12
DTS Jayden Kgosimeng 9
MH Greef Giovanni Gil 6
U/13 Total
KFA Elia Kambinda 21
Kasaona FA Donavan Tjaveondja 20
JAFC Jaden Kamati 19
Warriors FA Paixao Windstaan 15
Ramblers Abner Catiti 14
Baller Boys Johannes Shikongo 14
U/15 Total
KFA Jaylan Britz 24
JAFC Zizinio Keyser 15
KFA Brooklyn Goliath 13
JAFC David John Swartbooi 11
JAFC Ramiro Sissing 9
U/17
Dama SC Delton Tshipa 12
JAFC Lluwellyn Urikhop 9
Baller Boys Natangwe Kuungumene 7
KFA Clivano Greyton 4
DTS Ndjoze Mbatjandangi 4
U/19
Ramblers Josh Kanku 15
WHK Gym Mario Pedro 8
DTS Brendon Kandanga 6
SKW Jayden Bruwer 6
