Fifa Normalisation Committee chairperson Bisey Uirab says they have taken the Namibia Football Association (NFA) as far as they could and now the incoming executive council must carry on the work.
Speaking to Desert Radio this week, Uirab said they had laid the groundwork for the substantive leadership, due to be elected on 17 November.
He said money owed to service providers has drastically reduced, explaining that the NFA’s challenges are not challenges that came overnight but have been coming over the years.
The new leadership must continue addressing challenges prudently, he advised.
“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,” said Uirab.
“Whoever wins the contest will continue with the work that has been done and do so with the greater interest of the Namibian nation.”
The revamped electoral procedure will see 34 participants with voting rights take part in the congress.
Running for the NFA presidency are Blue Waters chairman Robert Shimooshili and African Stars chairman Patrick Kauta, with Johnny Johnson Doeseb and Murs Markus vying for the vice president position.
“The fundamental change in the revised statutes is that instead of people campaigning individually, it was agreed that they will have a slate arrangement where people will participate in this election as a collective,” Uirab said.
“You have people of the same mind together, therefore, they will be able to execute the promises they make to the football community.”
On whether the longstanding infighting that brought local football to its knees is a thing of the past, Uirab said those involved in football have seen the negative implications of what occurred in Namibian football and the politics around that.
“So, if there is anybody whose interest is furthering the aims of one football community in good spirit, I do not expect any of the two slates to harbour those negative tendencies that have brought us to where we were,” said Uirab.
“We have made good progress and positive strides as football is back and the corporate [world] is talking to us by participating in sponsoring football at national federation level but also national teams competing in different competitions,” he said.
“Come 17 November, I am looking forward to overseeing the election which will be free, fair, open and a transparent process. Yes, we have invited CAF and Fifa and the government to be observers.”
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