THE president of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), Robert Shimooshili insists that Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) contracts were duly honoured.
Shimooshili affirmed that the previous NFA leadership drew up contracts for the players and the new leadership headed by him honoured them. He said a clause in the contract states that players and technical team should benefit equally from sponsorships or rewards of any kind without tax deductions, which they did.
The NFA president was addressing concerns raised by senior players in a post circulating on social media, regarding alleged outstanding payments amounting to N$15 million. Shimooshili clarified that prize money received from the Confederation of African Football was allocated based on tournament performance and not intended for direct disbursement to players.
In the post, the players voiced frustration with the fact that a portion of the money will be used on infrastructure development. The players state that this is an unjust decision and that this cost must be covered by the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service which will this year receive N$124 million for infrastructure development.
While acknowledging the players’ contributions and aspirations, Shimooshili underscored the broader responsibilities of the NFA, including infrastructure development and operational sustainability.
He defended a decision to allocate a portion of funds towards facility upgrades, emphasizing the collective ownership of the association and its mandate to represent the nation’s interests. He further stressed the importance of balancing financial obligations, citing existing debts owed by the association. With these glaring facts, Shimooshili insists it will be reckless for the association to dish out all the money to players. “What will be left to run the affairs of the institution?” he asked.
He added that players have been misled and given the wrong impression even though they were paid reasonably. Shimooshili further said they will consult on whether to give a portion to the players and all that information surrounding Afcon will be shared with the broader media soon.
He, however, added that the NFA Technical Centre needs a new artificial pitch, “where will we get money to fix all of these if we dish out all the money to the players because they want to be given everything. If we spent and hand out money recklessly, we will be blamed for mismanagement of funds at the end of the day,” added Shimooshili.
A Brave Warriors player who opted to remain anonymous said the NFA president Shimooshili had blocked them after they persistently asked for this money to be paid out to them. The player said if it was not for them, the country would not have even participated in the tournament.
Shimooshili denied blocking players’ attempts to engage with him, reiterating his stance on equitable distribution of resources.
Despite tensions and differing perspectives, he reiterated his commitment to transparent governance and urged for constructive dialogue to address grievances and advance the sport’s interests in the country.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na