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Home / Mbidi/Barry ugly spat, a bad omen for our football
Mbidi/Barry ugly spat, a bad omen for our football
2018-02-23Staff Report 2 Yours truly has been following with keen interest, or rather disgust, the ongoing war of words between two of the most powerful figures in domestic football in the shape of NFA president Frans Mbidi and his supposedly trusted soldier Barry Rukoro. For starters, social media was awash with mixed reaction when word spread that Rukoro, no stranger to controversy, was alleged to have manhandled Cosafa president bro Phil Chiyangwa, in full view of dignitaries in the lobby of a posh Jozi hotel last weekend. These are extremely serious allegations and warrant thorough investigation since the credibility of Namibian football is gravely compromised here. As it stands, there is no concrete evidence that Barry assaulted the flamboyant motormouth Cosafa chief, or whether the reported heated argument was just confined to a few verbal jabs and uppercuts between the two football heavyweights. Yours truly has never been one to shy away from realities but truth be told, Barry is not a saint and has never been one to duck easily disposable confrontation and challenges. The brother’s extremely quick temper is well documented but as the saying goes – there are always two sides to a story. In his own defence, the aggrieved long-serving football administrator fingers his boss Frans Mbidi as the main instigator of the alleged assault on the Zimbabwean football boss. Irrespective of whether Barry was provoked by Chiyangwa’s unbecoming behaviour or not, if it is proven true that the short-fused NFA SG had indeed mishandled bro Phil – he must be charged for misconduct and subsequently face the music for bringing the game of football into disrepute. Mbidi as the designated leader of Namibian football should stop acting like a spoilt brat trying to run the association as if it were his own little kambashu or some family mahangu field. He knows exactly well what really transpired between the two gentlemen and should come out of the closet and let the cat out of the bag. The NFA president cannot continue pleading ignorance on such damning allegations. Hold on, did I hear Mbidi saying that there’s nothing the association could do at this point in time until such time an official complaint has been filed about the alleged assault? This is notwithstanding the fact that these nauseating allegations have been widely reported in the local and foreign media, prompting a heated dialogue amongst local football followers joined by hordes of sympathisers. So, what my learned colleague Mbidi is implying is that when he witnesses somebody stamping his daughter in front of him he would not take action until the affected victim alerts the relevant authorities about the incident – seriously, what kind of shortsightedness is that? I’m just wondering. This is the very same bloke trying by all means to orchestrate the downfall of a man who has previously put his body on the line spearheading Mbidi’s presidential campaign as an unknown candidate, with no recorded history in terms of notable football credentials, or worse still, arrived in the game of football with no sustainable blueprint, to say the least. My dear esteemed readers, this is not a personal attack on both Barry and Mbidi, but their serial shenanigans must be halted without further delay if we are to save our football from becoming a delicacy for stray dogs. It still goes beyond any comprehension as to why Mbidi resolved to take domestic issues to regional level, which have absolutely nothing to do with Cosafa or Chiyangwa and his henchmen, for that matter. It is my personal take that the current NFA Executive should be dissolved simply because they are hell-bent on serving their personal interests – they are a disgrace to the oath of domestic football and busy bringing down with alarming might the sound foundation laid by Advocate Petrus Damaseb. I rest my case. 2018-02-23Staff Report 2
