NFA unfazed by outside pressure

The Namibia Football Association (NFA) says it will not bow to pressure and break with procedure to appease outside forces.

Doing so would compromise its standing with Fifa, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Cosafa, noted the NFA in a statement on Friday.

The stance comes on the back of the NFA getting a favourable legal decision against the Namibia Correctional Services (NCS), which wanted to be included in the topflight regardless of the football federation’s rules not allowing teams owned by the same entity to simultaneously play in the division.

The NFA’s position appeared to also be aimed at leaked communication between potential topflight sponsors Debmarine Namibia’s ultimatums in exchange for N$18 million towards the 2024-25 premiership campaign.

The NFA believes that leaking Debmarine’s sponsorship conditions letter on the eve of the NCS court ruling was no coincidence.

Making the confidential document public was designed to weaken the NFA’s bargaining power and undermine its authority, says Cassius Moetie, the director of the NFA executive council.

The standout sponsorship pre-requisite from Debmarine is that the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) should reside outside of the NFA structures before the start of the new season.

“The NFA would like to assure its members, the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, the Namibia Sports Commission, its sponsors and other stakeholders, that the NFA and its football products are indeed on an upward trajectory,” Moetie said.

“The executive council and its secretariat will not be patronised to violate the statutes of Fifa, CAF, Cosafa, and the rules and regulations of the NFA.”

Additionally, Debmarine Namibia wants the sponsorship value and arrangements from last season to remain as agreed with the Fifa Normalisation committee, which was in charge of NFA affairs at the time. These rights and obligations should be discussed with and signed off by the clubs, while current disputes with regards to composition of the league be finalised.

“This plan should be signed off by the NFA and clubs, and be endorsed by Fifa,” Debmarine said in the letter.

The communique found its way on to social media, as the football fraternity eagerly awaited the High Court’s ruling on the NCS’ case against the NFA.

The case was struck off the court roll after the High Court found it had no jurisdiction to hear the matter, as football regulations do not allow for football disputes to be handled in civil courts.

The NFA deem 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 the NCS remaining in the SSFD.

“The NFA is deeply disappointed that its name and football in general has been brought into disrepute but hope that the outcome of this case has vindicated its position,” Moetie said.

“The NFA finds the disclosure of the confidential content of the letter, leaked to social media, vis-a-vis the timing of the court case as a deliberate coincidence by people having a vested interest in bringing football into disrepute and to disrupt the upward trajectory the executive council and secretariat.

“The NFA, in this regard, condemns this kind of behaviour and conduct in the strongest possible terms,” Moetie added.

SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

Moetie said the non-promotion of the NCS Football Club to the NPFL is informed by the NFA’s statutes, rules and regulations, with no ulterior motives.

“The NCS Football Club and Khomas NamPol Football Club fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, and can, therefore, not play in the same league, as articulated by the NFA statutes and rules and regulations,” Moetie noted.

“There is sufficient evidence that both teams have benefited from the same resources, and that sufficient basis for dual interest by the said ministry has been established beyond any reasonable doubt,” he added.

“The NFA is enchanted that this matter is now concluded, and insofar as the NFA is concerned, the NPFL is now properly constituted with the required 16 members.”

He said the NFA will now finalise all the league fixtures, which were delayed by the court case.

“All the leagues will be ready to kick-off the football season on the date to be announced soon,” he added.