Otniel Hembapu
Former Brave Gladiators head coach Woody Jacobs is at loggerheads with the besieged Namibia Football Association, with the veteran gaffer claiming that the local football federation owes him N$175 000 in unpaid appearance fees.
In a letter of demand sent to the NFA on 30 June 2022, which New Era Sport has also seen, a disgruntled Jacobs is demanding payment of appearance fees emanating from seven Brave Gladiators’ international assignments, as well as a salary for one month.
These are four matches from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Awcon) two-legged qualifiers against Tanzania and Zambia, and three Council of South African Football Association (Cosafa) matches against Uganda, Zambia and Eswatini.
As per agreement with the NFA, Jacobs claims that he was supposed to pocket N$25 000 per match, but the association reneged on its promise.
“When I was appointed in September last year, we agreed with the former NFA secretary general Franco Cosmos that I will be compensated N$20 000 per month and an additional N$25 000 in appearance fees per match. My monthly salary of N$20 000 was paid to me end of September and October last year. When my contract ended, I still had further commitments with the team and in November, I was given an extension through a verbal agreement with Cosmos. Though no written contract was entered into, we verbally agreed that I should continue,” said Jacobs.
“From January 2022 to April 2022, a monthly payment of N$20 000 was paid to me in terms of the extended agreement. My contract was terminated on 09 May 2022, but I have still not been paid my appearance fees for the Uganda, Zambia and Eswatini games from September last year, as well as the two Tanzania matches from October 2021, and the two Zambia matches of February this year.”
The coach claims that he also did not receive a salary for December 2021.
A fuming Jacobs said the NFA has since not replied to his letter of demand, and no one from Football House has contacted him to agree on the way forward.
“I’m now left with no choice but to approach the office of the labour commissioner to seek further legal assistance. We all have rights in this country, and all I’m demanding here is for the NFA to pay in full all appearance fees from the seven games that is owed to me. I don’t want long stories with them, I just want my money,” added Jacobs.
Attempts to get comment from Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee chairperson Bisey Uirab proved fruitless as he did not answer questions sent to him.
Uirab, however, told Nampa that he is not in a position to comment on individual issues or cases, as the NFA’s financial status is already well known.
– ohembapu@nepc.com.na