Football must be the winner

The arrival of Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe and the fact that the normalisation committee has been making bold decisions are all signs that eventually football can be the winner. Our football has gone through the worst times. Even after they tried resurrecting the beautiful game, it went back to the grave again. There is now a new sheriff in town by the name of the normalisation committee and they are tasked with making sure that the game rises from the dead.I have seen very bold steps from the committee so far and that will probably help in resolving issues.Inviting the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Namibia Premier League (NPL) to meet the CAF president was a noble step that indicated that the committee is not here to take sides.This gesture did not mean that the expelled NPL had gained favouritism, but I believe it was a step towards reconciling both parties and understanding the task at hand.There are those who were disturbed by the fact that the NPL was invited to meet Motsepe, claiming that the league should be kept in exile.I think people with that kind of mentality are wrong and the reason why things have just not been mended in our football. The most important thing here is not about our egos, but about football and the players who are starving.It would be best if members of the NPFL and NPL smoke a peace pipe in order to assist the normalisation committee in bringing back our football.This reconciliation does not have to mean that you are bringing back the NPL, but can go a long way in avoiding two leagues in one country.As a nation, we do not need two football leagues because there is already a lack of sponsorship.There has to be a way to make sure that both parties come to a lasting agreement. Namibia is a very small country and working together as administrators can be the only solution.Many people continue to stand their ground on what they believe in this ugly fight that brought football to a standstill. I just think that the time has come to put some beliefs aside and ensure that we find ways in which we can get football started.The biggest bone of contention which resulted in the expulsion of the league was the relegation and promotion saga, which saw three clubs protesting, and the fact that there was no promotions played that season.Yes, this has caused many players their livelihoods and we therefore have to move from that and start fresh in how we can resolve this by having one strong league in the country.Now is really not the time to continue trying to enhance our personal egos because we have seen where it brought us at the end of the day.Seeing players playing in reserve tournaments and ageing while leaders continue to tangle is sad. We have written so much about how peace and harmony will be key in transforming the fortunes of this game.There is a need for all those responsible for clubs and regions to move in one direction.Let us forget the so-called groupings and work towards making the dreams of footballers a reality. I do not think the damage done in Namibian football is beyond repair - at all. There is still hope and one can tell that the current normalisation committee has embarked on that journey to make that hope a reality.I will, however, still stand by the fact that reconciling members of the NPL with members of the NPFL could provide lasting solutions, whether we want it or not. jesse@namibiansun.com

Football must be the winner

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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Football must be the winner

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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