WINDHOEK – Karasburg-based Namibia Premier League outfit Young Brazilians Football Club are hopeful of hosting their NPL games at home, despite the lack of infrastructure to host games of that magnitude.
Young Brazilians, who recently won the 2018 Southern Stream First Division to gain promotion to the NPL, play all their home games on a gravel pitch in the southern town of Karasburg.
Team manager Kullus Simboya told Nampa on Thursday that they are aware that Premier League matches are played on natural grass or artificial turf, but it would be costly for them to play all their games away from home.
“We had a team from the Namibia Football Association (NFA) inspect our field, and we are still waiting for their report regarding its fitness to host Premier League matches,” she said.
Simboya added that as a newly-promoted team, they do not have enough funds to play all their games away from home.
“People in our town are excited to see our team play premier league games at home. If we are told our field is not fit to host Premier League matches, that will mean we have to travel to Keetmanshoop or another town where there is an artificial turf or natural grass, and that will really be costly for us, plus we will not play in front of our supporters,” Simboya said.
Speaking to this news agency on Thursday, Tim Isaacs, a member of the NPL sub-committee on safety and technical affairs, said they sent officials to Karasburg to inspect the field, but the final outcome of their inspection will only be delivered when the NPL board of governors sits to decide on the matter before the start of the league.
Despite not having a field with artificial turf or natural grass in their town, Simboya said they are reinforcing their squad with more players ahead of the start of the new NPL season.
“Our goal is to stay in the Premier League, so we are signing new players who have experience in playing in the NPL as we do not want to be relegated in our maiden season,” she noted. – Nampa
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