A two-day FIFA Club Management course hosted by the Namibia Football Association (NFA) in collaboration with FIFA concluded in Windhoek on Tuesday. 

The course was attended by club leaders from the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) and the FNB Women Super League and was aimed at strengthening the administration and professional operations of local football clubs.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, FIFA lead regional officer David Fani highlighted the importance and benefits of professionalising football in the region. 

He expressed hope that participants had grasped key concepts which, if applied, would improve the administration and management of their clubs and strengthen leadership capabilities within their organisations.

“As stated during the official opening of the workshop, clubs are the foundation of football in each and every country. It is therefore imperative that we get it right by ensuring that the foundation is strong enough to support the rest of the football structure, so that we can achieve the objectives we set for ourselves,” Fani said.

The overall programme focused on governance, strategic planning, financial management, marketing, and sustainable club development.

Johanna Tjizu, director of finance at Life Fighters FC, praised the course, calling it not only informative, but effective as well.

“I learned a lot in terms of governance, strategy development and financial planning. It came at the right time, as we are currently looking for sponsors and the course taught us how best we can put out our proposals,” Tjizu said.

According to Mabos Vries, acting general secretary of the NFA, the course forms part of FIFA’s broader efforts to professionalise football structures at club level and improve the overall competitiveness of domestic leagues. -hnalupe@nepc.com.na