Broken and hopeless footballers
Dropping out of school, losing hope, and turning to alcohol have become the order of the day for many footballers who used to play in the expelled Namibia Premier League.
JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA
WINDHOEK
Namibia Premier League players Robinson Iyambo and Manfred Kazondume's dreams of playing at the highest level have been shattered.
The two, who played in the MTC Namibia Premier League before football came to standstill, say their livelihoods and those of their teammates have been destroyed by a lack of action.
Speaking during the 'Sport Wrap' online show, the players expressed disappointment in the country's football leadership.
“I use to study marketing management at IUM but I had to drop out because I could not afford to pay for my school anymore given that I was paying for it with the money I got from football.
“I can tell you now that we have lost so much because we used to pay rent and support our families with this money.
“Things have been so bad that most of my former teammates and colleagues in the football industry have resorted to drinking alcohol and hanging out at all kinds of places,” a distraught Iyambo said.
The player added that some of his teammates have fallen into depression because of the lack of action.
He hopes that football leaders will be able to restart the beautiful game sooner.
“I just hope that football leaders will be able to sort out their differences and start football.
“We are emotionally and mentally exhausted from all these fights and continuous drama,” Iyambo said.
In 2020, Kazondume and a group of players marched to the Namibia Football Association to demand that the football season start.
The player feels that little progress has been made since then.
“We tried but it seems like all our cries have fallen on deaf ears because nothing is happening.
“I came here today to let you all know that the players are suffering and our leaders are to be blamed for this.
“We need our leaders to settle their differences and start football because we have marched but still we do not see progress,” Kazondume said.
It was announced by the football association that the new Namibia Premier Football League will kick off on 17 April.
The players say that they hope that football will eventually start and there will not be any further delays.
What happened
In 2020 The Namibia Football Association's 16th extraordinary congress moved to terminate the membership of the Namibia Premier League (NPL), their affiliate members and its executive committee members from their structures in July.
The executive members who were expelled are chairperson Patrick Kauta, Bonnie Paulino (vice-chairperson), Peter Nakura, Gabriel Tjombe, and NPL CEO Harald Fuller.
This move came after many attempts by the NFA to get their members to comply with directives and retain the status of Civics and Orlando Pirates for the new season, which the NPL vowed not to implement and it led to their suspension.
WINDHOEK
Namibia Premier League players Robinson Iyambo and Manfred Kazondume's dreams of playing at the highest level have been shattered.
The two, who played in the MTC Namibia Premier League before football came to standstill, say their livelihoods and those of their teammates have been destroyed by a lack of action.
Speaking during the 'Sport Wrap' online show, the players expressed disappointment in the country's football leadership.
“I use to study marketing management at IUM but I had to drop out because I could not afford to pay for my school anymore given that I was paying for it with the money I got from football.
“I can tell you now that we have lost so much because we used to pay rent and support our families with this money.
“Things have been so bad that most of my former teammates and colleagues in the football industry have resorted to drinking alcohol and hanging out at all kinds of places,” a distraught Iyambo said.
The player added that some of his teammates have fallen into depression because of the lack of action.
He hopes that football leaders will be able to restart the beautiful game sooner.
“I just hope that football leaders will be able to sort out their differences and start football.
“We are emotionally and mentally exhausted from all these fights and continuous drama,” Iyambo said.
In 2020, Kazondume and a group of players marched to the Namibia Football Association to demand that the football season start.
The player feels that little progress has been made since then.
“We tried but it seems like all our cries have fallen on deaf ears because nothing is happening.
“I came here today to let you all know that the players are suffering and our leaders are to be blamed for this.
“We need our leaders to settle their differences and start football because we have marched but still we do not see progress,” Kazondume said.
It was announced by the football association that the new Namibia Premier Football League will kick off on 17 April.
The players say that they hope that football will eventually start and there will not be any further delays.
What happened
In 2020 The Namibia Football Association's 16th extraordinary congress moved to terminate the membership of the Namibia Premier League (NPL), their affiliate members and its executive committee members from their structures in July.
The executive members who were expelled are chairperson Patrick Kauta, Bonnie Paulino (vice-chairperson), Peter Nakura, Gabriel Tjombe, and NPL CEO Harald Fuller.
This move came after many attempts by the NFA to get their members to comply with directives and retain the status of Civics and Orlando Pirates for the new season, which the NPL vowed not to implement and it led to their suspension.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article