Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
It was gratifying to see the First National Bank (FNB) and company, especially its Communications Manager, Cassius Moetie, swallowing his pride and apologising for misdirecting his principals on how to realise a soccer match between a Premier League invitation side and the Brave Warriors.
I have seen few people in the position of authority displaying such courage.
That is why I hope the Namibia Football Association (NFA), its Acting Secretary-General, Barry Rukoro, in particular, have accepted the apology without any qualm and have moved on.
But why expect Mr Rukoro to move on while awaken a dog that may have been put to sleep through Mr Moetie’s apology? I am sure many would like to know. Yes, the matter may have been disposed of but I wonder how much we have learnt from it. If there is anything, I am uncomfortable with the speed with which those in position of power, authority and influence in this country learn from their oversights, omissions, and incompetence if you like.
In view of the partnership that exists in football involving the consortium, grouping together financially inclined companies such as the Namibia Breweries Limited, Mobile Telecommunications and the First National Bank (FNB), it was mesmerising to see the public being whetted to a match that never was.
Naively perhaps for some of us, one would have thought the communication link between the NFA and FNB was now as smooth as it could be. Thus what transpired could not have been a matter of simple misunderstanding.
It is hard to believe that after all these years, in this game and how it is run and ought to be run or not, there are still some stakeholders, let alone NFA officials, who do not seem to be familiar with the dos and don’ts? That is if simple ignorance over procedures or/and oversight thereof is all what was to this short-lived mini war of words and public muscle flexing.
It was well for Rukoro to admit to unfamiliarity with the nitty-gritty of NFA procedures. Hence, FNB’s approaching Ben Bamfuchile, the Brave Warriors team manager. One cannot but give the FNB the benefit of the doubt.
But with hindsight the FNB spin-doctor is someone with long-standing familiarity with the NFA and its ways and could have advised the powers-that-be within the FNB what route to follow in asking the NFA to facilitate such a match. This is not to say the communicator’s own explanation may not have been without some reasonable and practical validity. But it is granted without any doubt that the NFA is the supreme guardian of football in this country to which the other bodies and structures should submit.
If somehow there may have been an omission or oversight either way, reverting to the correct channels would not have been such a big deal to allow such a match to take place, rather than aborting it as happened.
This is, of course, unless there may be more to it than the naked eye could see. Equally, granting the peace and harmony and camaraderie that should be there between the NFA and its partners, all it would have taken is merely for the NFA to friendly remind its partners what the correct procedures were, and are. Not with a haughty attitude bordering on the NFA showing that it is the sole football boss in this country.
Let me assure the NFA and its prime movers that few people around would want to be in their shoes save to distantly be envious of its gross responsibility in getting the football house in order, putting the game on a healthy plane and elevating the national sides to winning ways. This is a tall order that does not have a place for chance-takers.
One could not agree more with the NFA administrative boss about the imperatives of the brand of the national team, and the risk involved in marketing it “cheaply”, to use his own word whatever this means. Equally the impulsive arbitrariness of the NFA boss as it seemed in this instance equally did not seem to have enhanced the proper marketing of the coveted brand.
On our way to Ghana obviously we can ill-afford such mishaps as much as the NFA may genuinely be acting in the broader interests of the national team, and football in general. But it must not make the mistake of thinking that because it is overall in charge of the national team and soccer in general it is the only good judge. I have no doubt that the NFA, as the supreme body, has in its leaders the requisite wisdom and leadership to prevail over the challenges that may be facing football, and that may render our preparation to Ghana bumpy.
However, it behoves them to exercise such wisdom and leadership judiciously. This judiciousness seemed to have come short in the instance under this microscope. Meanwhile, one can only hope that members of the Consortium saw this incident purely as an unfortunate mishap. The NFA is also better advised to introspectively reflect on this, hopefully to learn something from it. We may have qualified for Ghana but we are a long way from Ghana if we are to make our presence felt. Such mishaps commissions, omissions and oversights are unfortunate and also disastrous.