Cut Rukoro some slack

I know many people are celebrating the eventual exit of long-serving Namibia Football Association secretary-general Barry Rukoro but I believe he deserves praise for the good he has done for Namibian football.

The FIFA normalisation committee headed by Hilda Basson-Namundjebo on Wednesday removed long-serving Namibia Football Association (NFA) secretary-general Barry Rukoro from office.

Social media platforms were abuzz with comments celebrating Rukoro's fall from grace.

Yes, the Teflon Don of Namibian football had overstayed his welcome and his administration was sometimes questioned.

But I cannot celebrate his exit as if it was some kind of victory and I give him credit for what he has done for football.

Under his leadership the Namibia Football Association was transformed, attracting sponsorships for the senior and junior national teams.

Many football tournaments were staged in Namibia while he was the secretary-general, including the hosting of the African Women's Championship in 2014 and the Cosafa Cup in 2016.

As the secretary-general, Rukoro was directly involved in the appointment of coach Ricardo Mannetti who has been so successful for the national team.

At the moment, the Brave Warriors are on the verge of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations and they did most of the work while Rukoro was still the secretary-general.

It is impossible to forget that the Namibia Football Association managed to empower women under Rukoro, given the increase in a number of women's football activities in the country.

It goes without saying that the level of football development from youth level made great strides under Rukoro's leadership too.

Many see Rukoro as an arrogant individual but my encounters with him made me believe that he can be a humble individual too.

The NFA managed to provide jobs for many people during the years Rukoro was at the helm of the secretariat.

I may be one of the few who believe that Rukoro does have a passion for Namibian football, given the amount of commitment and interest he had shown at Football House.

Rukoro has over 27 years of experience in football administration. Over the years he has empowered himself sufficiently in terms of the politics and administration of football.

He has rubbed shoulders with the top dogs of world football and he has the football qualifications that go with cementing his position.

He is one of only a few people who understand the politics of football and he put that to good use.

Namibia's amateur football setup and its football officials mostly lack the knowledge that has elevated Rukoro to be among the knowledgeable.

It is for these reasons I believe that Rukoro was not a bad administrator, as many now portray him to be.

Lastly, my advice to whoever will be appointed to that position is that he/she must work hard in order to restore the peace in Namibian football.

The new secretary-general must be willing to learn from some of the positive steps Rukoro took while at the helm of the secretariat.

It is very important that the new secretary-general learns from the mistakes of his or her predecessors.

All we can hope for is a transparent appointment of a new executive committee.

I hope that the peace and harmony that once reigned at Football House will be restored in the interest of Namibian football.

Let us continue to build a strong football nation and steer clear of infighting and power-hungry shenanigans.



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