WINDHOEK – The Secretary General of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), Barry Rukoro, has rubbished recent damning allegations of a cash-for-votes scandal involving NFA president John Muinjo, published in the British Sunday Times.
A fuming Rukoro yesterday branded the accusations baseless and aimed merely at tarnishing the country’s good name and credibility, especially at a time when Namibia is getting ready to host the African Women’s Championship. The British Sunday Times newspaper reported that Muinjo wrote a letter to former Qatari Fifa vice-president, Mohamed Bin Hammam, requesting financial assistance of more than N$1 million in exchange for a vote during Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
The allegations have the potential to compromise Namibia’s image as hosts of this year’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Championship, according to Rukoro. In his view the reports are of very little significance and will not compromise Namibia’s position. He further called on the corporate partners of the NFA to remain levelheaded and not get carried away with the circulating bribery reports. “Just yesterday, despite all these accusations, Fifa invited Namibia through the NFA to be part of a Fifa World Cup observer team in Brazil, a gesture that demonstrates the level of trust and coordination we enjoy with Fifa.”
By Otniel Hembapu