Football never on time

Year after year Namibia has experienced the same problem of a delayed Namibia Premier League (NPL). This is a serious problem that hampers the development of the beautiful game in the country. Allow me to call it a virus that has no cure because it keeps happening over and over again. Many of the leagues around the world are approaching their second round already, while the Namibia Premier League is yet to start. There usually is confusion prior to the start of the premier league. It is so hard to think that even with sponsors on board and money available, a group of administrators struggle to get football started on time. One can understand if things like this occur in one season, but a repetition of the same problems and delays is a systemic illness. Because no premier league football is being played, the national team has had to pay the price. Often coach Riccardo Mannetti has had to select players who hardly kicked a ball for months to represent the nation in matches against players that are active. Yes, the national team does have players that ply their trade outside Namibia, but it is equally important for the coach to have those that play domestically in order to blend a good team. The delay of the league has also affected many vendors trading at the stadiums. The enthusiasm of loyal fans is also destroyed by the lack of premier league matches. The strange fact about all this is that it happens even when there are new leaders in the NPL. These mistakes are repeated over and over again and that is an outrage to people who love the beautiful game. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but something is really wrong with the way Namibian football leaders operate. A great example which has cost a delay this season was allowing the Military School to play in the first division, knowing that it is owned by the Namibian Defence Force, which also owns Mighty Gunners. They must have known that if the Military School is promoted, they would definitely have to be in the same league as Mighty Gunners. All this was ignored and when the time came for the Military School to be promoted, they realised that two teams with the same owner can't play in the same league. Now that is something you will not see anywhere else but in this country. We are already lucky that we still have sponsors for the league even if its administrators have often let us down. I can just imagine how difficult it would have been to attract any other sponsors if it were not for MTC and FNB that pledged their commitment towards the league. I believe it is time our leaders put things right or give way to people prepared to make things work. I hope that this will be the final delay the Namibian Premier League will experience. Leaders of the beautiful game must stick to their promises and not just brainwash us with beautiful words when taking over office. It is time to talk less and do more in leadership positions. We have to remember that this beautiful game has many stomachs it has to feed and not just the egos of those who are in power. jesse@namibiansun.com

Football never on time

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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Football never on time

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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