Swakop's Güther signs two-year Stars deal
Swakopmund-based coach Gerald Güther has signed a two-year contract as head coach of Namibian champions African Stars, less than four weeks before the club meets South African champions Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League.
The club announced the appointment on Monday.
"With the position as head coach, I have been tasked to improve the newly established ASFC Academy where they have age groups from U14 to U18," Güther told this publication yesterday.
Güther replaces Ronnie Kanalelo, who joined South African club Marumo Gallants two months after signing a two-year contract with African Stars in July. African Stars chairman Salomo Hei told FARPost the club was exploring its options on the contractual issues.
'Everyone wants to step up'
Kanalelo has said his contract allowed him to take up an international coaching opportunity.
"In the football business I think everyone wants to step up. This is what happened with Coach Ronnie," Güther said.
"The players are professionals and will have to adapt. I will have to get them into buying into my idea of football and make sure we gel quickly."
Güther has been head coach of the Namibia under-17 side since July 2022 and coached the under-20 national team from 2015 to 2018. He has coached Blue Waters, Blue Boys and Eleven Arrows. He led Swakopmund FC to promotion and has been the club's technical director and youth academy head coach since 2018.
He said the African Stars position was a full-time job.
"The league will run into December when COSAFA is supposed to take place in Mozambique. So it will clash," he said.
He said his contract was with African Stars and not the Namibia Football Association.
'Football dreams'
African Stars will host the first leg of the second preliminary round at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone on 17 October at 15:00, as Namibia has no CAF-approved stadium. Orlando Pirates host the second leg on 24 October. The winner advances to the group stage.
"I am not involved with the finances. I can only imagine that it is a costly venture," Güther said.
"The saddest part is that we cannot play in front of our fans who would deserve to see this big match-up. But I have heard of a contingent of ASFC fans planning a trip to Botswana to support the boys."
African Stars reached the second preliminary round by beating Gabon's AS Mangasport on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
Güther said facing "a giant like Orlando Pirates is what football dreams are made of".
"So we dream. We work hard. We prepare as best as we can. And the rest is left on the field of play," he said.
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