2008-03-06Staff Report 2 "By Carlos Kambaekwa WINDHOEK The Appeals Board of the Namibia Football Association at its meeting on the 3rd of this month resolved to uphold an earlier decision by the NFA Disciplinary Committee that dismissed charges brought against Black Africa Football Club by the country's football authorities. At the centre of the storm was the MTC Namibia Premier League first round midweek match that was to have taken place between Katutura giants Black Africa and African Stars on the 12th of December last year. The ball never got rolled after Black Africa protested against the presence of match official Mathew Katjimune - accusing the FIFA accredited referee of having inhaled an unknown substance that could have had rendered him unfit to officiate. The Namibia Premier League were not impressed and duly instituted charges against Black Africa through the mother body for having brought the game of football into disrepute with their alleged unsporting actions. A brief summary from the Appeals Board dated 03/03/2008 reads as follows: The Appeals Board considered the Appeal at the instance of the Namibia Football Association and resolved that the NFA Disciplinary Committee has correctly construed the provisions of the NFA rule 33 including attendant computation of days in terms of the said rule. The statement further reads: ""The Appeals Board is further satisfied that the NFA Disciplinary Committee has interpreted or applied the relevant provisions of the NFA rules correctly as peremptory hence the NFA appeal dated 1 February 2008 is herby dismissed."" In the result, the decision of the NFA Disciplinary Committee dated 28 January 2008 is upheld. However, the Appeals Board failed to deal with the subject matter that led to the dismissal of the initial charges and the subsequent Appeal by the country's football authorities. The initial charges were summarily dismissed by the NFA Disciplinary Committee after the NFA was grilled by Black Africa's defence over the interpretation of days, and though the argument might have held few drops of water, the DC failed to move into second gear by not seeking refuge in the FIFA statutes. The NFA constitution compels its members to resort to FIFA statutes should any clauses be deemed to be unclear or constitute different interpretations. The NFA vehemently contested the verdict by its own DC and argued that the FIFA time limits are interrupted from 20th of December to 5th of January, but the Appeals Board would have none of it, and summarily dismissed their claim. New Era Sport is in possession of a communiqu??????'??" 2008-03-06Staff Report 2
