Defending champions African Stars say they have yet to receive their monthly grant from the Namibia Football Association (NFA). 

This is despite the new league season kicking off last weekend. African Stars’ chairman Salomo confirmed yesterday that the club has not received its monthly allocation from the local football governing body.

“We have not received our monthly grant, which is mostly used to cater for travel logistics. Although the league started last weekend, our funds have not been paid out yet, but other teams have already received theirs,” he said.

He added that the delay has caused anxiety within the club, as they struggle to plan for upcoming fixtures.

“We can’t operate without funds. We are supposed to travel to Grootfontein this weekend to face Julinho, and the funds haven’t been paid yet. It’s making it difficult for us because bookings and other logistical arrangements need to be made to ensure we’re ready for match day,” he stated.

The chairman questioned the league’s preparedness to run a full season smoothly.

“How can we be sure the league will even conclude this season after such a poor start? If the NFA wasn’t ready for the league to kick off, they should have waited until everything was in order,” he said.

When reached for comment, NFA communications manager Isack Hamata said the association is still waiting for funds to be made available.

“If we had the money in our bank account, we would surely channel it to the teams. But at the moment, it’s difficult to comment further on the matter,” Hamata said.

Each Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) club is entitled to a monthly grant from the NFA to cover crucial expenses such as travel, accommodation and player welfare. 

The grants are sourced from the league’s main sponsor. 

Any delay in disbursement often disrupts club operations, especially for teams travelling long distances across the country for fixtures.

African Stars will this weekend square off against Rundu-based Julinho Athletics.   –mkambukwe@nepc.com.na