Albert Einstein, the great German-born theoretical physicist and renowned influential science philosopher, once said; “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”.
Allow me to tap from the wise words of Einstein and remind both the suspended Namibia Premier League (NPL) and the Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) that judging from the temperament, the skewed style and pace of their somewhat stalled negotiations – I’m afraid both parties are on an unstoppable path of self-destruction and sadly our poor footballers will be at the receiving end of this brewing calamity.
For a few months now, the NPL leadership and the NC have been at headlocks struggling to agree on a standard and across-the-board method on how to go about starting the new 2019/20 football season, especially given the abnormal football environment where the country’s lower divisions did not have any activities for an entire season and only the flagship league (NPL) successfully started and concluded their proceedings last season.
Look, I have always agreed that the NPL as an affiliate and upholder of the NFA constitution as well as its own constitution is not to be blamed when they say relegated Orlando Pirates and Civics cannot be illegally reinstated back into the NPL for the new season because they were legally and procedurally RELEGATED last season and can only be readmitted through promotion coming from the First Division.
Also, I have always agreed that when a football association issues standard rules and laws to govern a specific process of organised football, that particular football association cannot then again stand up and change the provisions of the same rules and laws in the middle of the game/process or when the event has been completed and a winner has been identified and accordingly rewarded.
Such an act will be a severe miscarriage of justice and a mockery of the various standing rules and laws governing the beautiful game of the people.
So on that particular point, I’m in full agreement with the NPL’s leadership and somehow understand why they many a time bury their heads in the sand when discussions around promotion and relegation arises, because if they agree to the no promotion/relegation notion as requested by the NC, it will set a very perilous and unsustainable precedent going forward.
But alas, Namibian football is faced with a very abnormal and unique situation where only the NPL is currently making use and enjoying the conducive footballing environment that has been created by the NFA, while the rest of the members which includes the NPL, 14 football regional structures, the referees association, North East First Division, North West First Division and Southern Stream First Division to mention a few, are all not enjoying such privileges and rights due to the abnormal situation Namibian football finds itself in.
Your typical cynics would then ask and say; “but whose fault is it, definitely not the NPL’s fault. So let us play”. My response to such shortsighted thinking has always been simple and it is to say that the Fifa-appointed NC has been tasked to normalise the abnormal happenings in Namibian football and allowing the NPL to carry on their activities in isolation while the other depended leagues remain dormant would be a grave injustice and a further endorsement of the abnormality currently being experienced.
I’m not saying lets break the standing NPL laws and rules in order to accommodate others, but what I am advocating for is for both the NPL and NC leaderships to sit around the table, and understand the importance of each other’s mandates and then mutually agree on a solution that will be beneficial to Namibian football as a whole, and not to only the NPL or the NC.
What I’m calling for here is compromise from both parties (NC and NPL), as that is the only avenue and guiding instrument that will propel Namibian football to the desired destination, which is to eventually see the ball rolling again.
And speaking of compromise, I agree with departed legendary Welsh poet George Herbert who was once said: “A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit”. That is just some food for thought for the NPL and NC leaders. Until next time, sharp sharp!!!