A swarm of Black Africa Football Club (BA) supporters from the towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Arandis and Karibib in the Erongo region on Tuesday came out guns blazing, accusing the Namibia Football Association (NFA) of meddling in the club’s internal affairs.
The club’s supporters in the vast Erongo region on Tuesday wrote to NFA acting secretary general Franco Cosmos, through their Swakopmund chairperson Hillary Goagoses, cautioning Cosmos to refrain from snooping in the internal affairs of the club by insinuating that BA is a community team and therefore the NFA will accept an application letter written to them by any person under the sun.
“We in the strongest term condemn the supposedly tendered registration from few supporters to the NFA. A faction of Windhoek-based supporters cannot on behalf of the greater supporters of this mighty brand take direction. How dare you state that since BA is a community team anyone can apply on behalf of BA and accepted the application from the self-styled branch chairperson to join the purported NFA Top Tier League, yet you had written to the invitation to the chairperson of Black Africa Sports Club. Stay out of the internal affairs of BA. The least you can do is respect the office of the secretary general of the NFA,” said Goagoses on behalf of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Arandis and Karibib BA supporters.
The letter further clarified to Cosmos that “Having said that, let it be that the Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Arandis and Karibib supporters are not in agreement and are denouncing the ‘BA applies for NFA’ saga and henceforth are firmly standing behind the interim committee of this great brand. And so shall it be known.”
Black Africa’s interim leadership, which consists of club chairperson Browny Mutrifa, vice-chairperson Lakka Goagoseb, Boni Paulino, Rebecca Goagoses and Doris Lamperth, has also since come out to rubbish the club’s “fake” application letter to the NFA, saying the club’s leadership has not authorised any such undertaking. The club’s leadership further expressed shock and disappointment that the NFA has accepted an application letter coming from unknown and unauthorised people and asked: “since when do communities and supporters register clubs?”
Ahead of last Sunday, 23 August, the deadline given to all interested clubs to tender their final submissions to the NFA for consideration in the new top tier league, close to 10 clubs had tendered their applications to join the planned NFA Top Tier League and a source privy to the application process informed this publication that the ten clubs are Julinho Sporting, Mighty Gunners, Blue Waters, Young African, BA, Orlando Pirates, Civics, Citizens, Tigers and Young Brazilians.
Although some applications are still being contested and lack the required veracity, the NFA would be expected to review the applications and ensure that they are in full compliance with Article 10 of the NFA Statutes, which deals with the admission of clubs to various leagues that resort under the FA.
The applications purportedly sent to the FA by BA, Young Brazilians, Citizens and Blue Waters are all being heavily disputed and some were even signed off by unauthorised self-appointed people.
In the case of BA, their application letter to the NFA was authorised “by the community and the club’s supporters” and signed off by two individuals whose names do not appear on the application letter but only their signatures.
Meanwhile, the leaders of both Young Brazilians and Blue Waters are at loggerheads over disagreements on whether to join the NFA league or affiliate with the NPL professional league, with both clubs leaders heavily spilt by the issue.
In the case of Citizens, which is co-owned by George Ochurub and Dawid Goagoseb, with each owning a 50% stake in the club, the club owners are also divided by the issue and have since taken each other to lawyers. Goagoseb insists that the club should resort under the new NFA league, while Ochurub strongly feels the time is ripe for the club to pursue professionalism under the NPL banner.
In a separate interview with Nampa, when asked how they will deal with clubs like BA, Blue Water, Young Brazilians and Citizens who have two camps amongst themselves, Cosmos said the vetting process will sort that out.
“One of the requirements is that these clubs should have a constitution. They also need to have had an Annual General Meeting amongst other requirements. So those clubs that are divided will be eliminated by the vetting process,” Cosmos explained.
- ohembapu@nepc.com.na