Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Embarrassment for footballAdministrators launch scathing attacks on each other A television programme broadcast live turned into chaos when football administrators chose to attack each other''s personalities instead of discussing issues. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Namibians were glued to their television sets on Monday for the weekly NBC panel discussion ''Talk of the Nation'', which discussed the future of football in the country.
To the viewers'' surprise the panellists talked about personal failures instead of mapping out the future of the game.
The main argument erupted when Namibia Football Association (NFA) secretary-general Barry Rukoro disagreed with the other panellists and insisted that the standard of football in the country had not declined.
Rukoro said the national under-20 and under-17 men''s and women''s teams this year for the first time advanced to the second round of CAF African Cup qualifiers.
He also pointed out that despite the financial challenges the NFA is facing, the Brave Warriors were able to win the 2015 Cosafa Cup and did not struggle in their last African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match against Senegal in September.
“The under-17 team also won the Cosafa Cup in July. So those that are trying to paint a bad picture of football are off the mark,” he said.
Rukoro added that the NFA cannot tell the Namibia Premier League how to run its affairs because it is an autonomous body run by the clubs.
The league has not yet started after former sponsor MTC opted not to renew its contract.
With no elite level football on offer, it is feared that the game in Namibia will suffer.
Rukoro, though, was adamant that the league''s inactivity was caused by the fact that teams in the league had been over-paying players, which was not sustainable.
Governance
Sebastian Kamungu, who served as the NFA''s first secretary-general after independence, disagreed.
Kamungu spoke about the governance of football, saying that other sport codes had lost sponsorships but their activities continued despite not having money.
He added that the current situation showed that there was something fundamentally wrong if the NPL could not continue its activities following the withdrawal of the MTC sponsorship.
“The solution cannot be obtained by the people who are in football only but also by listening to the outsiders,” he said.
He reminded the football administrators that “football is not a Micky Mouse business but one of principles” and those running football must represent themselves as such.
Furthermore, Kamungu maintained that there is money in the public and private sectors but how those at the forefront of football present themselves will play a crucial role in getting investors.
Leave football
Another panellist, Olsen Kahiriri, who is the secretary-general of the Namibia Players'' Union (NAFPU), touched on having stakeholders'' meetings between the NPL, NFA and the players'' union at least three times a month.
Rukoro disagreed and shouted: “Who wants to be in your company three times a month?”
Kahiriri further asked why sport does not feature in the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
The outspoken unionist also did not spare words about the attitudes of those leading football, stressing that if they are not open to criticism they should leave football.
Namibian Sun understands that an altercation broke out between Kamungu and Rukoro after the live broadcast. During the broadcast Rukoro kept asking Kamungu what he had done for football, alleging that he left the football association with only N$20 000. It is unclear whether it was that comment that led to the altercation.
KAINO NGHITONGO
Clik here to view.
Embarrassment for footballAdministrators launch scathing attacks on each other A television programme broadcast live turned into chaos when football administrators chose to attack each other''s personalities instead of discussing issues. Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Namibians were glued to their television sets on Monday for the weekly NBC panel discussion ''Talk of the Nation'', which discussed the future of football in the country.To the viewers'' surprise the panellists talked about personal failures instead of mapping out the future of the game.
The main argument erupted when Namibia Football Association (NFA) secretary-general Barry Rukoro disagreed with the other panellists and insisted that the standard of football in the country had not declined.
Rukoro said the national under-20 and under-17 men''s and women''s teams this year for the first time advanced to the second round of CAF African Cup qualifiers.
He also pointed out that despite the financial challenges the NFA is facing, the Brave Warriors were able to win the 2015 Cosafa Cup and did not struggle in their last African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match against Senegal in September.
“The under-17 team also won the Cosafa Cup in July. So those that are trying to paint a bad picture of football are off the mark,” he said.
Rukoro added that the NFA cannot tell the Namibia Premier League how to run its affairs because it is an autonomous body run by the clubs.
The league has not yet started after former sponsor MTC opted not to renew its contract.
With no elite level football on offer, it is feared that the game in Namibia will suffer.
Rukoro, though, was adamant that the league''s inactivity was caused by the fact that teams in the league had been over-paying players, which was not sustainable.
Governance
Sebastian Kamungu, who served as the NFA''s first secretary-general after independence, disagreed.
Kamungu spoke about the governance of football, saying that other sport codes had lost sponsorships but their activities continued despite not having money.
He added that the current situation showed that there was something fundamentally wrong if the NPL could not continue its activities following the withdrawal of the MTC sponsorship.
“The solution cannot be obtained by the people who are in football only but also by listening to the outsiders,” he said.
He reminded the football administrators that “football is not a Micky Mouse business but one of principles” and those running football must represent themselves as such.
Furthermore, Kamungu maintained that there is money in the public and private sectors but how those at the forefront of football present themselves will play a crucial role in getting investors.
Leave football
Another panellist, Olsen Kahiriri, who is the secretary-general of the Namibia Players'' Union (NAFPU), touched on having stakeholders'' meetings between the NPL, NFA and the players'' union at least three times a month.
Rukoro disagreed and shouted: “Who wants to be in your company three times a month?”
Kahiriri further asked why sport does not feature in the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
The outspoken unionist also did not spare words about the attitudes of those leading football, stressing that if they are not open to criticism they should leave football.
Namibian Sun understands that an altercation broke out between Kamungu and Rukoro after the live broadcast. During the broadcast Rukoro kept asking Kamungu what he had done for football, alleging that he left the football association with only N$20 000. It is unclear whether it was that comment that led to the altercation.
KAINO NGHITONGO