Former Namibia Premier League chief executive Matthew Haikali says those vying for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) presidency must be evaluated on their contribution to the domestic game.
This should be the overriding factor when a total of 34 delegates representing the NFA’s members vote for the president and executive council during the elective congress in Windhoek tomorrow.
The watershed assembly will bring to an end the tenure of the Fifa Normalisation Committee headed by Bisey Uirab.
Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) and Blue Waters chairperson Robert Shimooshili is up against African Stars FC executive chairman Patrick Kauta, who also headed the defunct Namibia Premier League (NPL).
Speaking to Desert Radio this week, Haikali said the delegates should cast the votes for the candidate best equipped to spearhead football in a progressive direction.
The incoming executive committee should foster cohesion between the divided factions, while ensuring Namibian football builds an attractive brand to grow the industry, he said.
On Kauta’s ticket are his proposed deputy, Johny Johnson Doeseb (Erongo region), Kauta’s predecessor as NPL chairman, who like Kauta, also lost out to Ranga Haikali for the hot seat three years ago.
Ordinary members Andreas Amesho (Oshana region), David Morgan (Khomas region) and Anna Natasha Cloete (Namibia Women’s Football) complete Kauta’s camp.
Shimooshili’s team consists of Murs Markus (Southern Stream first division), and ordinary members Laurance Tommy Kandundu (North West first division), Joseph Hailombe (Ohangwena region), Precious Chaka (Zambezi region) Samwel Kamuyoyo (Kavango East region), Egidius Mangundu Nambara (Kavango West region), and Michael Situde (Hardap region).
“These individuals have been at the helm of club level and maybe one should go back to those clubs and see what has happened in terms of the growth at club level,” said Haikali.
The wily Fifa Futuro III administration and management regional instructor, said it would have been interesting to see what is being promised by the two slates.
However, neither camp has made its manifesto public.
“Interesting enough if you look at both slates, I think the whole issue of skill and competency is there.”
“Unfortunately, I have not been in the position to see what you will say is a detailed curriculum vitae of all the other members to be able to give you an idea on where they come from,” Haikali said.
“Doeseb is a renowned businessman in his own right, with Markus having been instrumental in the southern stream division.
“Everybody brings their own strengths to the table and that will be an interesting one. However, it will be the members who will decide who to vote for, which slate serves them better.”
Haikali said the new NFA leadership will be tasked with addressing the pertinent issue of ensuring the association becomes financially solvent and that all its constituents operate optimally.
“Nobody at this stage knows how much money is available right now for the first and second division to start.”
Additionally, whoever wins must advocate for women in leadership on standing committees like finance, competitions and youth committees.
“They must be able to identify individual women who are vocal, capable and have the skills to advance women’s football agenda.”
Uirab said they had laid the groundwork for the new substantive leadership.
“We have really done what we could to prepare the ground for the new leadership to take over and to continue on the basis that we have laid for the work of the NFA to continue,” Uirab told Desert Radio recently.
“Whoever wins the contest will continue with the work that has been done and do so with the greater interest of the Namibian nation.”
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