Carlos Kambaekwa
Windhoek-Disgruntled club officials are up in arms accusing the country’s football governing body, the Namibia Football Association (NFA), of deliberately turning a blind eye to blatant violations of basic rules governing players’ clearance and transfers.
At the centre of the storm is the NFA games management committee’s decision to relax laws and rules governing footballers’ movement from one club to another armed with the required transfer documents.
Outjo-based Black Africa Warriors are having beef with their neighbours, complaining bitterly that Outjo Football Club are making use of their legally registered players without having obtained the necessary transfer documents.
The said players were fielded in the preliminary rounds and the round of 32 of the ongoing Debmarine Cup without clearance from their previous club.
Subsequently, Warriors filed an official complaint with the Organizing Committee to alert them about the dilemma but to the their dismay nothing was done to address the matter.
The fingered players are Clarence Aibeb (winger), midfielder Theo-Ben Ngula and Moses Gaeseb (defender). The name of Military School FC goalie Gilbert Endjere is also being thrown into the dirty washing basket having been fielded by Outjo FC without the required paperwork.
Former Premiership campaigners Golden Bees FC also did not escape the wrath of their fuming neighbours who accuse their rivals of having illegally snapped up the trio of Johannes Kondjeni (winger), fullback Christian Gawanab and Leon Geingob (forward).
Hendrik Eib has also come under fire after turning out for Outjo Football Academy (OFA) in the same fashion.
An agitated Swallows chairman Johannes Nehale told New Era Sport that numerous attempts to alert the Organizing Committee about the ineligibility of the said players fell on deaf ears.
Chairman of the NFA Competition Committee Roger Kambatuku shot down the claim, testifying Swallows did at no stage file a complaint but it was indeed United Stars who alerted the officials after their penalty shootout exit from the Debmarine Cup at the hands of OFA FC in the round of 32.
“We did receive a complaint from United Stars, and though it was outside the stipulated time limit, we resolved to look into the matter because we take the issue of ineligibility of players very seriously.
“I can categorically confirm this matter is receiving our prompt attention and should be solved before the draw for the last sixteen is conducted next week,” charged the football official.