NFA appreciates government support

The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service says the cash-strapped Namibia Football Association (NFA) can count on its support to ensure the federation fulfils its commitments.

The sport ministry recently assisted the national football body with N$5 million to cover costs related to the Brave Warriors’ 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying expenses.

NFA spokesperson Isack Hamata says the funds from the government were not misused as suggested in some quarters.

“Let us put this in context, a national team belongs to this country and does not belong to the NFA,” Hamata said in a recent interview with Desert Radio.

“The N$5 million was meant for the Cameroon and Kenya encounters, salaries and operations.

“There is nothing wrong with the NFA getting financial help because the NFA used the money that it had, so it had to receive that money back so that it can go into the national team.”

“It is not easy managing the NFA and its national teams. It is a very costly exercise, particularly because we are playing outside the country which is not the fault of the NFA,” emphasised Hamata.

He said having the national team host its home matches abroad is financially draining.

“If it was in Namibia, we could all put our hands together and there would be minimal costs because it is our own stadium,” he said.

“At the moment we are very thankful to the authorities and government leaders for really giving the attention to football as they are doing.

“We are hoping that one day, and very soon, that we are able to have our national teams play in our country, so that we do not have to spend so much money taking the teams outside to play in a foreign country.”

The sport ministry’s executive director, Erastus Haitengela, says part of the Brave Warriors’ failure to make it to next year’s Afcon finals is down to inadequate preparations.

Any national representative needs to be thoroughly prepared, he says.

“The commitment from the ministry is there and very solid to assist and help where possible,” the senior government official says.

“The government together with the NFA held discussions on the way forward with the biggest objective of having come together for planning purposes,” Haitengela continues.

“We urged them to start preparing early and to have the budget in time so that as a ministry, we are able to provide funding for them.

“There is always room for us to work hand in hand with the NFA to ensure proper and thorough preparation for the Brave Warriors now that the focus is on the International Federation of Football Associations World Cup 2026 qualification.”