With a year at the helm of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), president Robert Shimooshili has ushered in a new era of promise and progress. Not only has he secured financial support from key stakeholders, but he is also laying the groundwork for the future by championing the construction of football fields across Namibia.

The 33rd Ordinary Elective Congress on Saturday served as a platform to highlight the milestones achieved under his leadership. He proudly described the congress as the first under the executive council of the NFA, calling it “consequential in many respects”.

He emphasised the shared vision of advancing Namibian football.

A year of milestones

Since his election on 17 November 2023, the past 12 months have been “eventful, busy and hectic”, Shimooshili told congress attendees. 

The NFA has demonstrated unwavering dedication to creating a football-rich nation. 

Its activities spanned across leagues and programmes, including the Namibia Premier Football League, Women’s Super League, Nationwide First Division and regional divisions, as well as youth development initiatives like the NFA Cup and the Newspaper Cup.

He reaffirmed the NFA’s commitment to using football as a unifying force, fostering societal cohesion and providing opportunities for talent to flourish. “We leave no stone unturned in harnessing the power of football,” he said.

Building football infrastructure

A major focus has been securing land donations for constructing football stadia and offices for regional football associations. 

Municipalities such as Tsandi, Helao Nafidi, Oshakati, Rundu, Nkurenkuru, Otjiwarongo, Mariental, Gobabis and Walvis Bay have generously offered over 155 937 square metres of land for this purpose.

Talks with the Saudi Arabian Football Association promise even greater strides in achieving these infrastructure goals.

Sponsorships and financial backing

Under Shimooshili’s leadership, the NFA secured a historic sponsorship of N$6 million from Pstbet for both men’s and women’s football. 

The NFA further received significant sponsorship deals: N$18 million for the Namibia Premier Football League – a sponsorship from DebMarine Namibia, with N$2.7 million for the Women’s Super League from FNB Namibia. 

The leagues will kick off the end of November.

It also includes MTC’s N$4 million for the newly-launched MTC Maris Cup. 

The Top eight sponsors are expected to be announced soon.

Strengthening international relations

The NFA has bolstered international relations, participating in key events such as the Fifa Congress in Bangkok, visits to Fifa headquarters in Zurich and collaborations with regional football bodies like Cosafa and the South African Football Association.

Technical development

Capacity building has been a cornerstone of the NFA’s strategy, with 14 local coaches receiving the prestigious Caf A Diploma. Forty local safety officers were trained under Caf’s Safe Stadium Initiative. 

Regional referee courses and Fifa Elite A workshops were held, and youth coaches and teachers were trained in the //Kharas region.

Youth and women’s football

Youth football has flourished under Shimooshili’s leadership. Namibia hosted the Caf African Schools Championship for boys’ and girls’ U/15, involving eight nations, with South Africa emerging victorious.

The national U/20 team took part in the Cosafa competition, which served as a qualifier for the U/20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). Women’s football also gained prominence, with Ongos Ladies lifting the First National Bank Women’s Super League and PstBet NFA Cup.

On the international stage, the Brave Gladiators participated in the Cosafa Women’s Championship and international friendlies.

Men’s football 

The Brave Warriors reached the knockout stages of the Afcon this year. 

They however failed to make an impression for the 2025 qualifiers, with a match left against Kenya today. 

They are busy with the World Cup qualifiers.

Financials

A major highlight of the congress was the discussion and approval of the NFA’s audited financial statements for the year ending March 2024 as well as the budget for the 2025/26 season. 

Looking ahead 

The 22nd edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup was held in Gobabis this year. The NFA and its strategic partners, Nedbank Namibia, The Namibian Newspaper and Netball Namibia opened the bids for the 23rd edition, set to take place in April 2025. 

The three regions that submitted their bids are Hardap, Kunene and //Kharas. An announcement will be made soon regarding the hosts.

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na