A cursed football nation

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa





I was hoping for a better year in the football fraternity but it appears as if we are in for another chaotic time.

The curse of Namibian football remains evident as the current state of the beautiful game continues to worsen.

Just last week, Ranga Haikali, Johnny Doeseb, Izak Fredericks and Mabos Vries were shortlisted for the NFA presidency.

The fact that some of those who did not make the final nomination list for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) presidential position are prepared to challenge the outcome is worrying.

The normalisation committee claims that most of the candidates who did not make the list were ineligible because their CVs contradict Article 33(3), which states that members may not serve more than two terms in the NFA executive.

Some were omitted because they were part of suspended NFA member, the Namibia Premier League (NPL), during the time of nominations.

Other nominees fell out because of Article 33(4), which states that a member can only be eligible for elections if he/she has served for four years as an executive member, while some failed to submit the required documents.

It was reported last week that Mpasi Haingura and Patrick Kauta have not accepted the outcome and resorted to seeking legal remedies.

Haingura and Kauta, who were not shortlisted, apparently failed the test because they were part of an NFA executive which unlawfully removed NFA president Frans Mbidi.

The committee also disqualified Kauta because the NPL is suspended by the NFA and he is therefore declared ineligible to stand for the presidency seat.

As things stand, I'm confused about the whole vetting process and can't tell who is right and who is wrong.

The duo claims that the vetting process was unfair, while the Fifa normalisation committee (NC) maintains that it took all the necessary steps during the shortlisting of candidates.

All these allegations take us straight back to the beginning and I am afraid to say that the immediate future of football in the country looks bleak.

In all honesty, I just hope that the NC did the vetting process procedurally and not to favour some individuals.

If that was not the case, it will surely open a can of worms and football will remain at a standstill.

Once again, our football continues to be played in boardrooms and courtrooms rather than on the field.

The hopes and dreams of aspiring footballers hang in the balance because administrators are failing to come to a lasting agreement.

Some of these players depend solely on football, given that they do not have other jobs and neither do they hold any academic qualifications.

They are fathers and sometimes husbands or partners and football has been the only thing that helped them to put bread on the table.

I do agree that the vetting process was a bit odd and people probably have the right to appeal the decision.

I am however terrified by the fact that all these complications could stop the game from continuing.

I hope that all the parties involved in this pandemonium will reach an agreement as soon as possible.

It's not fair that the players and fans have to suffer because of the egos of power-hungry administrators.

It's about time we let go of our personal egos and targets and think of the people directly affected by our decisions.

We will never be able to fix problems if our decisions are based on vengeance and piloted by ill motives.



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