By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK
The newly appointed technical director of Eleven Arrows Football Club Ronnie Kananelo hinted that there will be a massive overhaul at the recently commercialised maroon and gold outfit in an aggressive drive to meet the growing expectation that comes with huge investments.
The former Sundowns goalkeeper has vowed to make imminent and necessary changes at his former club in line with the targets set by the new regime, headed by entrepreneurial club president John Doeseb.
“The team needs a new direction with this massive investment and it’s up to me to ensure that we have the right players,” he said.
According to Kanalelo, a former Arrows great himself, the coastal outfit has been dishing out average football on the pitch in recent years and that scenario needs to change and it can only be achieved with the right people around.
The team’s hopes for a double were dashed when they were bundled out of the lucrative MTC NFA Cup tournament by Black Africa in the 2nd round on home soil. A result that infuriated Kanalelo so much that he called for half of the playing squad to be offloaded at the end of the current campaign.
According to sources close to the club, management is currently compiling their wish list for the new season and are targeting a number of players both locally and abroad, with the South African 2nd tier division the main target.
Arrows suffered back-to-back defeats in the league recently, with their latest loss coming at the hands of relegation threatened league rookies Mighty Gunners, last weekend.
Kanalelo revealed that negotiations have been ongoing with Doeseb since last year, but there were loose ends that needed to be tied up before an agreement could be reached.
“I’m a well informed person and always willing to learn new aspects about the beautiful game. I’m still learning from those that know better and my diverse knowledge of the game will help me succeed in this new challenge.”
He added: “I make things happen rather than wait for someone to bail me out of tight corners, because I’m not the kind of guy who would dwell on the rumblings going around.”
Club president John Doeseb of JJD Holdings echoed Kanalelo’s sentiments and threw his weight fully behind Kanalelo’s idea of bringing in people with the administrative acumen required in modern football.
“We need competent people around the team and to bring in Ronnie to help our technical team with the finer details of the game.
“I have 27 players who are now fulltime employees of the club, training twice a day and going to the gym. We have enlisted the services of a local physical trainer too, all geared at making the team competitive.”
The club, according to the new owner, has three categories of players ranging from A, B and C that are classified on their quality and value they add to the team. .
The 33-year old business mogul also revealed that negotiations are at an advanced stage with the Walvis Bay Municipality to acquire a piece of land for development.
“We held discussions with the town council about erecting new facilities for the club, which include a clubhouse, training fields, a gymnasium and all the modern soccer amenities.”
Established in 1961, Arrows will be under the leadership of a new board, comprising of the club’s president as the executive chairperson, Gabriel Nana Tjombe as chairperson, with Tara Shimbulu, Joseph Damaseb, Sedekia “Zadike” Gottlieb and Killa Samaria the other members.
With the club now fully commercialised, a dedicated marketing team of Riana Hamilton and Theo Tom will pursue the promotion of the team for the next decade.
Meanwhile, long serving coach Lucky Shipanga has parted ways with Arrows with sources close to the coastal outfit claiming his departure was hastened by the arrival of Kanalelo, who has been trying to impose himself on the technical staff since he was roped in recently.