Namibia Football Association agrees to pay Franco Cosmos N$4.7 million amid financial crisis and controversy

The broke Namibia Football Association (NFA) has agreed to pay its former secretary general Franco Cosmos N$4.7 million.

This includes a once-off N$456 000 and monthly salary of N$70 000.

The NFA has been in financial struggles for several years, a situation that has forced the governing body to beg for government funding to host football matches.

It has now emerged that the association has been forced to pay one of its top executives and to also rehire him.

Cosmos was initially employed by the NFA as secretary general from 2020 until his dismissal in April 2022.

His return to the NFA on 1 October 2024 in the capacity of the director of membership, governance, compliance and legal affairs, has sent shock waves through the football community.

Information obtained by The Namibian indicates that Robert Shimooshili, now president of the NFA, previously acted as a witness for Cosmos’ dismissal case in the Labour Court before his election as NFA president.

Cosmos lost that case.

The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation yesterday confirmed that Shimooshili acted as a witness.

However, when Cosmos appealed the same Labour Court judgement to the High Court this year, the NFA, now under Shimooshili, did not defend the case although it filed a notice of intention to oppose the appeal.

This revelation raises questions about potential conflicts of interest and the NFA’s involvement in the matter. Sources said a faction within the football regulator deliberately failed to defend the case at court, forcing the NFA into a corner to pay a heavy price to Cosmos.

On 23 April, the NFA filed a notice of intention to oppose the appeal.

On 11 May, the court issued a reminder that the appeal would lapse within 60 calendar days and advised to undertake the necessary procedural steps to ensure the timely prosecution of the appeal.

Despite this notification, no further documentation was filed by either party until 4 October, when a settlement agreement was filed by the NFA lawyer.

The NFA initially said Cosmos was brought back to meet International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) requirements, but court documents obtained by The Namibian contradict this. The documents indicate that the two parties had an out-of-court settlement despite Cosmos having lost the labour case.

“The respondent (NFA) shall pay the appellant (Cosmos) an amount of N$456 000 to be paid on or before 30 November 2024,” the High Court said. “Cosmos’ new employment with the NFA shall commence on the date on which the parties sign this agreement, and persist for a period of five years from the date on which parties sign this agreement,” it added.

The new role will see Cosmos earn N$70 800 per month.

“The NFA agrees to pay Cosmos an amount of N$850 000 per annum, which shall be paid in 12 equal instalments on or before the last day of each month for the duration of the five-year period,” the court documents state.

The settlement agreement was signed on 27 September 2024 by Shimooshili.

NFA secretary general Charles Siauya signed as a witness for the NFA. Cosmos signed the agreement with Alicia Pienaar as witness.

Former NFA president Ranga Haikali said this was the abnormal culture that he wanted to change during his tenure.

He said people “do what they want at the NFA for their own benefit while the footballers suffer”.

“It’s obvious that he is being brought back because they are in the same camp. When I suspended him he defied the suspension.

He [Cosmos] orchestrated a process that removed the entire NFA executive, but the aim was to ultimately remove me as president, and he succeeded,” he said.

Haikali said the decision should not come as a surprise.

“How can it be shocking when the current president was a witness for Cosmos during the labour case?”

Former NFA vice president Izak Fredericks said there is growing consensus among stakeholders that the leadership is marred by maladministration and a lack of leadership qualities.

“The NFA administration has been characterised by a poor decision-making process, a lack of transparency in operations, and questionable financial practices,” he said.

The NFA has declined to answer The Namibian’s questions based on new information.

Shimooshili referred the questions to Siauya.

Siauya this week asked for questions to be sent to him, saying: “I want you to understand the issue better, and I don’t want to be misquoted.”

He, however, later referred the questions to the NFA’s legal representatives, Sisa Namandje & Company.

The Namibian reached out to Sisa Namandje & Company and legal representative Ndateelela Alexander, but has received no response.

Cosmos last week said he felt vindicated by the settlement agreement.

When asked why he was working at a place he accused of mistreating him, Cosmos said: “It would have probably been better if I was paid out, but I don’t think there are funds available for that.”

Comos was dismissed by the Fifa Normalisation Committee (NC) after he was found guilty on five of the nine charges brought against him.

Most of Cosmos’ charges were brought by Haikali.

It was Haikali who got Cosmos the position of NFA secretary general, but Cosmos allegedly turned the screws and orchestrated the removal of Haikali as NFA president in December 2021.

When the Fifa NC under chairperson Bisey /Uirab took over the NFA reins, it opted to continue with Cosmos’ charges.

Cosmos is accused of awarding a N$2.3-million tender to Kalahari Dunes Trading and bypassing procurement policies.

Another charge was that Cosmos neglected to prepare financial statements. He has also been charged with advertising human resources consultant positions through Whats­App in 2020.

Another charge was insubordination after allegedly ignoring the suspension conditions and challenging the authority of the NFA president to suspend him.

Comos lost this case in the Labour Court.

“The applicant’s dismissal was both procedurally and substantively fair,” the Labour Court has said.

However, when he launched an appeal in the High Court, the NFA agreed to a settlement.

The status of the case is now regarded as lapsed in the High Court records.

“Having read the application in respect of the case and other documents filed on record in chambers and in the absence of the parties, it is ordered that the parties have settled the matter, and they hereby request that the Honourable Court make the settlement agreement an order of court,” the High Court ordered.

Cosmos denied that he is part of Shimooshili’s camp.

“I don’t do camps . . . The role I have is actually a demotion, because I get paid less than what I was getting as secretary general,” he said.

Ironically, the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service gave the NFA a N$5-million bailout in September – the same month Cosmos and the football body inked the agreement.

The Namibian has reached out to the ministry, asking whether any portion of the bailout funds was allocated to settle Cosmos’ salary and the N$456 000.

Ministry executive director Erastus Haitengela says the ministry has not provided a financial bailout.

He says the financial assistance was to support the Brave Warriors in the two matches they played.

“This support also included addressing outstanding payments for referees and coaches and operational costs for the period requested by the NFA,” Haitengela says.