Limba Mupetami
Assistant coach of the Brave Warriors Ronnie Kanalelo resigned from his position within the national team on Sunday, sparking controversy and putting pressure on the leadership of the Namibia Football Association (NFA).
Kanalelo, who had served as an assistant coach under Ricardo Mannetti from 2013 to 2019 – and most recently under Collin Benjamin from 2022 to 2024, wrote a letter to NFA president Robert Shimooshili, and made his resignation public on social media shortly after Namibia suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat against Angola in the Cosafa Cup tournament final.
Sources close to the situation revealed that Kanalelo’s decision to resign was not solely prompted by the team’s performance, but also influenced by internal political tensions within the NFA leadership.
According to these sources, there has been ongoing friction and clashes among officials within the association.
The situation escalated following comments made by Shimooshili in this publication on 12 June, where he indicated a need for personnel changes within the association.
Specifically, Shimooshili suggested that figures like Kanalelo have overstayed, and should consider transitioning to roles such as technical director, implying a desire for fresh leadership in coaching positions.
Kanalelo responded critically to these remarks, expressing his expertise in coaching rather than administrative roles.
He accused the president of undermining football development efforts by reducing technical staff’s allowances and bonuses.
In his resignation letter, he directly addressed Shimooshili, asserting his qualifications, contributions and the merit-based nature of his appointments within the national team setup.
He vehemently denied any suggestion that he had overstayed his welcome, or had not earned his position through merit.
“I know I need not formally resign, especially because I wasn’t hired by the NFA for this specific assignment as assistant coach. I was as requested and hired by the head coach, Collin Benjamin. I deem it fit to address this letter to you, however, because of your apparent dejection of me in this position.
“While we are at this point, I feel the need to inform you that despite your assumptions, based on your utterances in the media, I did not force myself into any of the positions I served for the national team. They were all based on merit and on my qualifications, contribution and my willingness to serve this country. To be more explicit, I am more than qualified for the position I held, and I have contributed to the development of the team over the years,” said the outspoken Kanalelo.
He further said he was not threatened by the president’s utterances, but rather the damage to his professional reputation built over the years.
“I herewith warn you to refrain and detest to use my name or defame in any manner henceforth. Failure of which I will take legal action against you in your personal capacity,” read the letter from Kanalelo to Shimooshili.
Kanalelo further used social media to explain he is being labelled a coward for his decision to step down. “Everyone in the technical team knew that Cosafa would be my last with the national team. That decision was made a long time ago during the Africa Cup of Nations. I am not going to apologise or feel embarrassed by what happened today – that’s football.
“We silenced many critics during the competition, and the real cowards remained silent, only to resurface when the team lost. It’s always blah blah this, blah blah that. I sometimes wonder how many of you truly lead perfect lives. Imagine being insulted by someone who can’t even make a difference in their own life. The beauty of it is we will never know, but those closest to them probably say ‘look at this low-level individual who thinks he is better than others’. Stay humble, and just remember failure is in every household,” wrote Kanalelo on social media. As questions arise about his successor and the circumstances surrounding his resignation, Shimooshili referred enquiries from this publication to the NFA secretary general, Charles Siyauya.
Confirming the resignation, Siyauya said “We have seen Kanalelo’s resignation letter on social media. NFA didn’t hire Kanalelo. In fact, he was hired by the coach of the Warriors, Benjamin, to assist him as a goalkeeper coach”.
“At no point in time did we witness or observe pressure from NFA to Kanalelo which ultimately forced him to resign. NFA is not looking for anyone to replace Kanalelo, but it is Benjamin who must decide who he wants to recommend to NFA for appointment as goalkeeper assistant coach.”
Kanalelo’s resignation has not only stirred debate within Namibian football circles, but has also spotlighted broader issues of leadership and governance within the NFA, underscoring challenges facing the national team ahead of future competitions.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na