WINDHOEK – The Namibia Football Association (NFA) reached another milestone in its quest to take football to greater heights when it officially launched the maiden edition of the annual Standard Bank Super Cup in Windhoek yesterday.
Following marathon round table negotiations, the bank finally stepped on board with a handsome sponsorship of N$3-million dollars for hosting the Standard Bank Super Cup, which will run for a period of three years under the stewardship of the NFA.
The competition features the MTC Premiership champions against the Bidvest Cup winners and will be played on August 16 this year. In the event of any team winning the double (which is the League and Bidvest Cup), the Bidvest Cup runner-up will be the preferred opposition for the Super Cup showdown. The winner of the Super Cup is guaranteed a cool N$500 000, while the runner-ups takes home N$200 000.
Making his first public appearance, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Standard Bank Namibia, Junius Mungunda, emphasized the importance of sport in the community and the role it plays in terms of unifying and celebrating local talent, saying it is against this background that Standard Bank saw it fit to contribute towards the development and enrichment of local sport, particularly football.
Speaking on behalf of NFA President John Muinjo, NFA Deputy President Kornelius Kapenda expressed his sincere gratitude to Standard Bank for taking a bold step by investing in the people’s game and assured that the NFA would do all in its power to justify the timely investment. .
Director of Sport in the Ministry of Youth, National Services, Sport and Culture, Norrii Kaanjuka, on behalf of the minister Jerry Ekandjo joined the chorus with Kapenda in confirming that his ministry would play a pivotal role in making sure Standard Bank’s trust in the NFA is reciprocated.
“The Standard Bank Super Cup will be the most lucrative competition on the local football calendar. So I really hope our clubs and players benefit immensely from this timely competition, but most importantly, the clubs must strive to put all monies earned in this particular competition to good use.
It’s about time our clubs start managing their financial affairs in a more professional manner,” advised Kaanjuka.
By Otniel Hembapu