Frans Mbidi is in line for the Namibia Football Association presidency after incumbent John Muinjo on Tuesday named him as his preferred successor when his term comes to an end.
Muinjo, the country’s longest serving football head to date, will step down from his position in December.
In keeping with notorious football practices, Muinjo has called his followers to back Mbidi when the NFA executive holds its elective congress later this year.
Muinjo was elected NFA president in 2006 during a heated congress that saw him brush aside opponent Hendrik Dawid in a hotly contested two-horse race.
He earned a second and final term, after defeating Ranga Haikali by 13 votes to 3 in 2010.
“My term as president of the NFA will come to an end in December. I have always believed that future leaders of the Association should come from within to enhance continuity,” Muinjo said in a brief statement.
“For succession purposes, I have thus groomed Frans Mbidi to take over from me and am requesting the [NFA] members to support him as he will make a credible and suitable replacement,” he said.
In 2010, Mbidi, the Oshana region chairman, vied for the NFA vice presidency post, which he lost out to incumbent Kornelius Kapenda.
During the 2010 elections, Mbidi failed to get a single vote, finishing third behind Namibia Premier League chairman Johnny Johnson Doëseb, who got two votes to Kapenda’s 14.
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