By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK – The current hiatus over the outcome of the drawn out debacle between the country’s football governing body (NFA), the MTC Namibia Premiership (NPL) and African Stars will not affect this weekend’s final league matches, the league and its principal sponsor MTC, says.
Responding to a question by New Era Sports as to why league authorities are adamant to finalize league activities, while the saga drags on Tovey Hoebeb expressed confidence that the matter will be resolved before the ball is kicked this weekend. At the centre of the storm is the abandoned league match between Stars and Orlando Pirates, which ended prematurely, because of a power outage at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on April 6 this year. The league’s Management Committee (MC) ordered the remaining 8 minutes plus the referee’s optional time to be replayed, a decision that did not go down well with the aggrieved party (Stars). The latter sought intervention from the highest authority, but was stopped right in the tracks for failing to follow basic procedures with the shoddy fashion in which their appeal was filed.
Insiders at the NPL, revealed that Stars requested the league to put on hold this weekend’s final fixtures until the matter is resolved, but the hierarchy at the country’s flagship league would have none of that. Should the Reds get a reprieve from another mooted appeal following their failed bid to have the ruling overturned, and have the match replayed in its entirety, they will go toe to toe with reigning champions Black Africa for the league title on the home straight