Hector Mawonga

About two weeks ago, I wrote on my Facebook page about what I perceived to be the problem with
Namibian football. One lesson I learnt from Inocencio Cio Verde, a good senior of mine, is the phrase that says: “Don’t just be a problem giver; be the solution!” So, allow me to borrow from that and state what I think is the best way forward in finding solutions to the many problems facing Namibian football. I say the first thing is for all of us to get involved. Talking about football is the easiest thing to do – and that is why almost everybody wants to talk about it. 

But how many know the pain that comes from running 90 minutes, only for you to still suffer abuse from the terraces?
How many of us know the stress that comes from trying to fulfill a fixture obligation some 500- km away while simultaneously having to worry about where the players will sleep, what they will eat and still have to manage the egos of those desperate to play?

How much have you spent, both in money and in mind, on helping those around you make a difference? So, I say get involved and stop being an armchair coach. Namibian football will never get any better as long as you and I continuously spend more of our energy and money watching and talking about what is happening thousands of kilometers away in the English Premier League and in other European leagues.

All that talking and supporting foreign leagues and foreign clubs does little to help but only brings you unwanted high
blood pressure. It brings no benefit to our game or to the overall development of Namibian football so to say.
I would rather advise you go watch some youngsters in your neighbourhood, sponsor a kid in your area, help your local team/ academy with a few dollars and attend some local games – even if it just a youth match, and celebrate the few who are striving for success despite the challenges.

Obviously, there is more to be done, including stopping the endless infightings in football, but everything starts with you
becoming involved locally.
As for me, let me see who emerges as potential stars from the ongoing 2020 Cosafa U/20 Cup, where Namibia’s Young
Warriors have been riding the crest of the waves – and today, they face Angola in the semifinals. Wishing the young
lads all the best of luck!!
*Hector Mawonga is a Namibian
award-winning former sport
journalist and radio presenter