NFA ‘built on shoulders of volunteers’

Limba Mupetami WINDHOEKIn a candid interview with Namibian Sun, a former employee of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) said if it wasn’t for volunteers who offered their valuable time and energy, the association would have been sued left, right and centre due to debts it accumulated back in the day.The former employee – who preferred to remain anonymous - shared some information on how things were previously handled in the corridors of the NFA.He said depending on the position one holds in the office, it’s important to keep a structure and to know when tasks need to be left to a manager to deal with.“You don’t want a direct relationship or else you will find everyone storming your office with every problem in the world. You will then not have time to execute other tasks,” he said.Asked how, for example, a kit manager is appointed, the former employee said the job is reserved for the team manager.So is picking a medical team.“In my time in office, a medical committee was tasked to do recommendations. But to sum it up, if there was workload, say for an example the filing system was not in order, the team manager would ask for extra hands to help. I would then advise him to find someone with capabilities. We would then negotiate and see if we could afford to pay the asking price.“In terms of the medical aspect of the team, you cannot appoint people without qualifications. If something happens on the field, the association can be sued.“We encouraged volunteers, under supervision, to help us out. These are the people who built that association. You cannot run an institution such as the NFA without volunteers,” he said.Cheaper by the volunteerHe made an example of when they had to travel to Zambia for a match, and because they couldn’t afford the asking price for a doctor, he called a friend in that country to recommended a doctor.This doctor, he said, supervised a young Namibian trainee doctor as it was much cheaper.He monitored and supervised her all the way for the duration of the match, he said.“So, this is how we managed, through volunteers. The local young doctor who accompanied us got the training she needed and we got the services we need.”Allegations of nepotismMeanwhile, another former NFA employee - who worked with the under-20 national team in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations – has allegedly been dropped from the team without explanation.The young intern medic – who has also requested to remain anonymous – said she was replaced by two other intern medics related to the senior medic, Donatha Ngunovandu.The former employee said she was victimised due to the fact that she is not close to the Ngunovandu.“I have been with the NFA structures for a while. I was in camp with the under-20 players. I know their injuries and have been treating them. I have a year and a half to complete my studies in sport massage, majoring in sport science, and I volunteered in order to get experience, but when the technical team was announced, I was cut from the team without any explanation.“They then replaced me with two other intern medics who are related to the senior medic. This same medic who you must bow to, or else you are out. You have to literally pay your way through there. I don’t have money to pay anyone accept to give my expertise,” she said.“The people are just there to collect money. There is no information or skills transfer or any kind of empowerment, or opportunity given to others. When they appoint people, there is absolutely no criteria used and there are no interviews taking place. It’s about who knows who,” the intern medic claimed.Team picked ‘on capabilities’Ngunovandu said she is in the charge of selecting the medical team, adding that she “choose people [based] on capabilities and in the health of players”.“Yes, Nokokure Kake is my family. She is travelling as the Covid-19 compliance officer. The other medic, Richardt Jansen, I don’t know who brought him in, as I was out of the country,” Ngunovandu said.NFA secretary-general Franco Cosmos said the aggrieved intern medic informed him that she was doing her masters and needed practical hours.He then employed her, but after a while it came to light that she only has a diploma and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) specifically instructed that the team should have an experienced physiotherapist, he said.“That’s where she fell short. I even wrote to Caf to ask if we can pardon her to come in as an intern, but that was a no. The person had to be qualified and registered.“We cannot take someone who isn’t qualified. What if something goes wrong? As for the rest of the technical team, the executive committee instructed that we take the same team who travelled to Cosafa. I cannot go above their instructions.“If you see the list, it’s dominated by a team from Khomas. This is because of their success with the Skorpion Zinc Cup. They did well nationally, so, we wanted to give them an opportunity to do well outside. So, it’s not a thing of ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’,” Cosmos said.Technical listAt the moment, the people on the travelling list excluding the players are:Rudolph Haindura, second vice-president; Hendrick Dawids, head of delegation; James Britz, coach; Jerimi Zimmer, assistant coach; Denver Murorua, fitness trainer; Efraim Tjihonge, goalkeeper coach; Phera Ratlhankana, video analyser; Maria Mulunga, team doctor; Kake, Covid-19 compliance officer; Jansen, medic; Andries Naobeb, kit manager, and Tuzera Jeomba, media officer.On the list - seen by Namibian Sun - there should be 14 people, but one spot remained blank.

NFA ‘built on shoulders of volunteers’

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Namibian Sun 2026-05-06

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NFA ‘built on shoulders of volunteers’

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Namibian Sun 2026-05-06

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