The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has suspended one of the league administrators Tovey Hoebeb, as confirmed by secretary general Charles Siyauya yesterday.
Siyauya announced that an investigation is underway, and a disciplinary hearing committee will be appointed soon.
Approached for comment, Hoebeb did not confirm or deny the suspension, stating only that he was on study leave.
An anonymous source revealed to New Era Sport that Hoebeb was acting as the chairperson of a disciplinary inquiry committee concerning an incident which involved the coach of Young Generations, a Khomas second division club.
The club’s coach, Matthew Kambundu, allegedly struck a referee during a recent Pst Bet NFA Cup match, an act captured in a video circulating on social media. The altercation occurred after Young Generations lost 2-0 to Patriots at the NFA Technical Centre, leading the enraged coach to attack the official.
It is suggested that Hoebeb was suspended for overstepping his authority. Young Generations, owner Junias Nangolo claimed Hoebeb suspended him without a disciplinary hearing taking place. He added that Hoebeb is just a normal employee of the NFA and has no power to charge, suspend or be part of the disciplinary process.
“I would understand if the league director himself was part of the disciplinary process, but it was just Hoebeb and the now-dissolved Khomas second division’s former chairman Lazarus Xoagub.
“Yes, the coach of the club hit the official. He is guilty, and as such, received a red card. I was, on the other hand, stopping the chaos. I understand football, and it was unfair to involve me. Even the suspension letter which came from Hoebeb does not stipulate the number of matches we are suspended for. It’s just personal,” added Nangolo.
“I am an innocent man. Because of this, I wrote a letter to the NFA to complain about this,” he noted.
He added that the incident occurred because of poor refereeing.
“We were robbed of five clear goals. This caused an upset and resulted in the incident, but I spoke to the coach to avoid this kind of incident.”
The incident has placed the spotlight on the safety of officials in Namibian football, particularly in the lower divisions, and has become a growing concern.
Another video has emerged showing a referee being beaten by a player from Kunene Regional Second Division Football League club Khaibasen FC during a match against Khorixas Football Academy (KFA). The player attacked the referee after he awarded a penalty to KFA, a decision Khaibasen players deemed unfair.
Khaibasen FC issued an apology, acknowledging that the incident deviates from the values and standards of their club and the broader football community.
“Such actions undermine the collective effort dedicated to the advancement of football in the region and within our nation. We regret the negative impact this incident has had on the perception of our vibrant team, which strives to inspire and captivate audiences with its dedication to the sport,” read a statement from the club.
A local referee, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, criticised the NFA for its lack of security at games, and failure to take safety concerns seriously.
“NFA does not have security guards at games. They also don’t take these kinds of incidents seriously; it’s really a safety concern,” the referee remarked.
The NFA asked to respond to this concern at a later stage.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na