Drop your big egos
03 September 2019 | Columns
Namibian football is not about Patrick Kauta, nor is it about Hilda Basson-Namundjebo. Both Kauta and Basson-Namundjebo have backers and supporters, who are stoking the fires of division in our football, and it is safe to say politics has reared its ugly head again.
After the end of every season in Namibia, sharp knives are drawn and football always comes to a standstill. It has been a repetition which has often hampered the development of football in this country.
It is no secret that some football administrators feel superior to others, and that is why they often fail to reach common ground as football leaders, whose only job is to run the affairs of the beautiful game. The strange part is that football is currently at a standstill, but officials continue to fight for superiority, rather than fix what is broken.
The fight between the Namibia Premier League and the Fifa normalisation committee is not healthy and can take an ugly twist. The fact that the committee is backed by Fifa, and was ordered not to start the first division until proper football structures are in place, has become a strong bone of contention.
The premier league, on the other hand, is prepared to start the league with 13 teams, even if no teams are promoted to make them 16, given that the first division failed to kick off during the 2018/19 season.
What a balls-up! The fact that the league's board of governors have turned against each other has created a deeper mess, because everyone feels they have a right to dictate matters.
We are clearly a divided football nation that lacks consistency, thorough decision-making and togetherness.
Where is the sense of camaraderie and the spirit of sportsmanship among our football administrators? How do we expect Namibian football to chart a positive way forward when we preoccupy ourselves with useless boardroom fights? It is high time that football bosses drop their big egos and put football first.
After the end of every season in Namibia, sharp knives are drawn and football always comes to a standstill. It has been a repetition which has often hampered the development of football in this country.
It is no secret that some football administrators feel superior to others, and that is why they often fail to reach common ground as football leaders, whose only job is to run the affairs of the beautiful game. The strange part is that football is currently at a standstill, but officials continue to fight for superiority, rather than fix what is broken.
The fight between the Namibia Premier League and the Fifa normalisation committee is not healthy and can take an ugly twist. The fact that the committee is backed by Fifa, and was ordered not to start the first division until proper football structures are in place, has become a strong bone of contention.
The premier league, on the other hand, is prepared to start the league with 13 teams, even if no teams are promoted to make them 16, given that the first division failed to kick off during the 2018/19 season.
What a balls-up! The fact that the league's board of governors have turned against each other has created a deeper mess, because everyone feels they have a right to dictate matters.
We are clearly a divided football nation that lacks consistency, thorough decision-making and togetherness.
Where is the sense of camaraderie and the spirit of sportsmanship among our football administrators? How do we expect Namibian football to chart a positive way forward when we preoccupy ourselves with useless boardroom fights? It is high time that football bosses drop their big egos and put football first.
Classifieds