The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has called for football lovers to remain calm while the association finalises sponsorship agreements and the starting date of the new season.
Contacted for clarity on when the new season will kick off and if investors have been secured, the NFA’s marketing, sponsorship and communications manager Isack Hamata recently said an announcement would be made shortly.
The leagues were mooted to start this weekend, however, that is not the case, Hamata said.
Critics and concerned football fans have taken to social media to seek answers from the NFA, following the leaking of a letter from Debmarine Namibia over its continued sponsorship of the league.
“There are dates and programmes happening, with deliberations and discussions ongoing,” Hamata said in a recent interview with Desert Radio.
“What we do not want is to come out and say this is the date that the thing will happen, when we know very well that it depends on another factor that is external,” said Hamata.
According to Hamata, if the NFA specifies a date and then can not adhere to it, the association will be blamed.
He requested patience from the sports fraternity, particularly the football community.
“Let us remain patient and calm. The date will be announced once every other block that needs to be in place, is in place,” he added.
The letter from Debmarine has reportedly fuelled an already tense atmosphere, with the NFA’s detractors increasingly questioning the national football regulator’s competency altogether.
Hamata said it is regrettable that the letter was leaked.
“I will not be at liberty to speak on a letter that was meant for an intended recipient who is the general secretary, and for internal consumption and deliberation,” Hamata added.
“In a nutshell, it [letter] was leaked, therefore it is going to be very disrespectful that we address the content of that letter outside the NFA’s boundaries or where it was supposed to be discussed, or where it is being discussed,” said Hamata.
“It means you are legitimising the leaking of that letter. Yes, it is out there, people are seeing what it contains and people are saying what they are saying. Unfortunately, it is going to be very difficult, disrespectful and disingenuous of me, on behalf of the NFA, to comment on the content of that letter,” he added.
According to the leaked letter, Debmarine’s conditions for the NFA before it advances N$18 million towards the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) for the 2024/25 season are chiefly for the NPFL to be independent of the NFA.
“This plan should be signed off by the NFA and clubs and be endorsed by Fifa,” Debmarine noted.
Additional requirements from Debmarine Namibia are that the sponsorship value and arrangements be based on the agreement signed on 13 September 2023 for last season; the rights and obligations as set out in the said agreement are shared and discussed with clubs and that clubs acknowledge them; and that current disputes with regards to the club(s) constituting the league be finalised.
Yesterday, the NFA won a High Court decision against the Namibia Correctional Services (NCS) Football Club, which was seeking to be allowed to compete in the top flight.
NFA rules deemed the NCS, which won the Southern Stream First Division (SSFD) last season, ineligible to compete in the NPFL due to sharing the same owner with Khomas Nampol.
Blue Boys, who were runners-up to the NCS, have since been promoted, with NCS remaining in the SSFD.
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