African Stars chairman Salomo Hei has taken on the responsibility of representing not only his club, but all Namibian clubs at the recently- established African Club Association (ACA).
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced the formation of the ACA last week, highlighting its role in making clubs more self-sustainable and globally competitive. CAF said it envisions that the ACA will enhance clubs’ financial attractiveness to sponsors and elevate the standards of stadiums, facilities and infrastructure for teams.
In an interview with this publication, Hei accentuated the significance of this achievement for both him and African Stars Football Club.
“This is a significant entity for clubs on the continent, and we are going to represent the region of Cosafa, alongside clubs like Stars and Kaizer Chiefs. This will serve as a voice for clubs on the continent and Namibia at large,” he stated.
“This will come with many opportunities. One of them would be that clubs will now collaborate to strengthen competition amongst clubs on the continent or region. This will also lead to clubs being self-sustainable, and able to attract corporates to invest or work on various projects,” he stated.
Reflecting on potential projects to enhance collaboration among African football clubs, Hei mentioned the idea of friendly matches against prominent clubs like Chiefs in South Africa or Young Africans in Tanzania. He sees these initiatives as avenues to strengthen ties and address challenges faced by clubs in the region.
When asked about the role Namibia can play in fostering unity and collaboration among African football clubs, he stressed the importance of working together. He believes that collaboration will translate into strong national teams, enabling them to compete on the global stage.
The entity will be headed by Tanzania’s Hersi Ally, who was elected as the inaugural president. – kambukwe@nepc.com.na