The Oshikoto-based Safile United Football Club held team trials at the Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Sport Field in Ondangwa as it prepares its squad for the 2026/27 season.
The club says this is its first team trial since its establishment in 1992, following two seasons in which the team struggled to win matches.
Players from Ondangwa attended the session, hoping to secure a place in Safile United's second-division team.
Head Coach Fillemon Kandjulu said that the trials are aimed at identifying players and building a squad for the coming season.
“What is happening here today is about the trials for Safile United Football Club. In the previous season, 2025 to 2026, we were not doing well. Some of the players we had were in different towns and areas. Now, for the 2026 to 2027 season, we have decided to conduct trials so that we can recruit players from around the town.
We normally call different players, including young players, from different areas around Oniipa, Oshakati, Ondangwa, and the villages. The goal is to recruit players for the team and develop a squad capable of advancing to the next level.
Assistant Coach Josef Kamala said he is assessing players' technical skills, including their speed, ball control, and ability to work within the team.
"My focus is on the players' skills. A player must have speed, ball control, and the skills that the game requires. I have already selected a number of players who have shown that they possess what I am looking for, and I am happy with this. All the players who are here are based in Ondangwa. When we first advertised the trials, we did not expect many players to show up, but they came and they are showing us what we expected from them.”
Team Manager Joseph Kanyama said the turnout has shown the club the value of conducting its own player selection.
“So far, it is beneficial. I think this is the first time since the club was established that we are conducting trials. We have been picking players from different places. Now we have seen that it can be challenging because sometimes the players we bring here do not even know how to play with boots. We have tried this approach so that maybe we can take the team to the next level.”
Kamala urged players to take the selection process seriously, saying the trials allow them to showcase their abilities and compete for places in the team ahead of the second-division league season.