Carlos Kambaekwa
Windhoek-The jack is out of the box! Contrary to vehement denials in reaction to widespread reports that he entertains ambitions to serve beyond his current term, New Era Sport has it on good authority that Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Frans Mbidi is pushing for amendments to the NFA constitution to get a second bite of the cherry.
Speculation in football circles is rife that Mbidi and his supporters have been burning the midnight oil to ground outspoken and charismatic Namibia Premiership (NPL) chairman Johnny ‘JJD’ Doeseb.
Sources close to the clandestine maneuverings say Doeseb was seen as a stumbling block in the way of Mbidi’s ambitions to remain unchallenged in the NFA’s plum position.
It’s claimed the strategy is aimed at disarming the influential NPL and indeed, appears to be a well-orchestrated tactic that football pundits insist amounts to a deliberate ploy to swing their sacred bulk vote of four in favour of Mbidi.
Mission accomplished. Mbidi is now sparing no efforts and is ostensibly playing his hand in directing the agenda for the eagerly awaited NFA executive meeting slated to take place at the posh Atlantic Hotel in Walvis Bay on the 16th of next month.
The gathering will discuss, amongst other pertinent issues, the recommendation of the fact-finding mission, the proposed human resource policy, proposed accounting policies and the 2017 financial procedures manual.
It will apparently also seek to endorse proposed amendments to the NFA’s statutes, including restrictions on terms of office of the executive committee members, including the president, as well as other unspecified amendments.
Daggers drawn for Rukoro
Meanwhile, insiders revealed to New Era Sport that the ambitious NFA honcho and his cronies are sharpening their Oukapies (knives) to take down the association’s long serving secretary-general Barry Rukoro.
Pundits say the unfolding events could potentially pave the way for the ambitious football honcho to fulfill his desire by retaining the NFA hot seat for a further four-year term. Mbidi’s term runs full circle next year and although he is only serving his first term as president, his lodging in football structures prohibits him from prolonging his stay.
The streetwise northern businessman has been an executive member of the NFA for close to a decade – thus rendering him ineligible to raise his hand for re-election, as prescribed in the NFA statutes.