NFA-Debmarine marriage on the rocks
Debmarine Namibia chief executive Willy Mertens slammed the Namibia Football Association (NFA) on Saturday, saying they do not feel respected or valued by its leadership.
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony of the Debmarine Namibia Premiership on a cold winter’s night at Independence Stadium, Mertens said the company’s relationship with the NFA has become quite chilly.
“Our wish is that the NFA leadership, although absent today, would start to value, respect and appreciate sponsors, put the development of football, the welfare of the players and the interest of the clubs above their personal objectives,” he said.
“We, at Debmarine Namibia, as a sponsor certainly did not feel respected and valued by the NFA leadership – especially over the past two years. Only then will we move football forward in this country,” he said.
Mertens called on the NFA to launch an independent league as part of a transformation project that was lagging behind.
“It is time for the league to transcend to the next stage of becoming independent from the NFA, and we hope the NFA leadership will make their commitment a reality. We believe an independent model will be the only way to attract and retain sustainable sponsorship for the league. We had hoped the transformation project would be far advanced by now.”
CALL FOR FIFA GUIDANCE
When contacted for comment, NFA president Robert Shimooshili said they are working on establishing an independent league, but called for guidance from world governing body Fifa.
“I am out of the country and I’m not aware of Mr Willy Mertens’ comments other than what I picked up from social media. About an independent league, that is what all top-tier football personnel would like to have realised, but the past historic abnormality emanating from the top-tier league doesn’t go well with our international mother body Fifa, which is guiding, managing and monitoring in line with their existing statutes managing all 211 members’ associations, including the NFA of Namibia.
“Therefore, we would like to get their guidance, if Namibia is ready or not, but at the beginning of the season they warned NFA and other countries about third-party influence and they reminded NFA about the past situation and advised that the NFA needs to normalise its football in totality before it rushes to an independent top-tier league,” he said.
“The NFA is working on it and calls upon all Namibian-related stakeholders to hold hands to ensure our top-tier league becomes an independent league very soon.”
Shimooshili said the NFA respects and values Debmarine Namibia’s sponsorship of football in Namibia.
“The NFA and its rank and file members, as well as all football families acknowledge, respect and appreciate Debmarine Namibia and its leadership for the commitment and investments they have contributed to the game of football over the past years.
“Debmarine Namibia and the NFA are economic and social partners, and the NFA would like to see many more entities contribute to social stability and development through football and follow the good example set by Debmarine Namibia,” he said.
“Some entities are still reluctant to contribute to football where our youth will be the primary beneficiaries, while it will also contribute to economic growth. We need to play football in all 14 regions and 121 constituencies of Namibia simply because football unites and brings communities together, and football contributes to economic growth and development, poverty eradication, and hunger reduction.
“The NFA wants to make the job of our politicians easier by uniting the people through football. Therefore, we urge football families to set negativities and differences aside and work together towards the development of the game.”
Shimooshili said football politics must be avoided at all times.
“Let’s allow the NFA to fulfil its mandate as a custodian of football in the country to manage, administer, control and monitor football, as well as to develop the game,” he said.
INVESTMENT
In his speech, Mertens said they have invested about N$50 million in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership over the past three years, which has empowered the NFA to strengthen league operations, improve remuneration for players and technical staff, referees, medical personnel, guesthouses, and lodges at various towns, as well as transport service providers.
At the same time it has extended the reach of football across Namibia, he said.
“Our involvement, as mentioned earlier, commenced with the NFA Cup in 2015, and extended to support for the Brave Warriors, Brave Gladiators as well as African Stars and the Tura Magic Ladies Team when they competed in the African Club competitions. This amounted to close to N$80 million over the past 10 years,” Mertens said.
“Beyond the pitch, this investment has had a profound impact on livelihoods, employing 877 individuals across various roles, including technical teams, security personnel, medical staff, stadium workers, accommodation providers, transport services, referees, and vendors.
“This number mirrors the workforce of Debmarine Namibia, reinforcing our belief in the transformative potential of our contributions. Just as our natural diamonds touch hearts worldwide, our investment in football touches lives right here at home,” he said.
The post NFA-Debmarine marriage on the rocks appeared first on The Namibian.