The head of the referee department at the Namibia Football Association (NFA), Absalom Goseb, has revealed they are thoroughly working hard to uncover the truth behind the food poisoning incident involving local referees.
Speaking to New Era Sports yesterday, Goseb said they are yet to gather information from all the referees involved before reaching a conclusive decision.
Late last month, a disturbing incident unfolded in Otavi, where referees fell ill after consuming sausages purchased from a local supermarket.
Swift action was taken, and the affected referees were promptly rushed to the hospital, where they received the necessary medical treatment.
Providing an update on the ongoing investigation, Goseb expressed the importance of hearing from the referees involved to determine the accurate sequence of events in Otavi.
“Although all the referees have been discharged and have returned to their respective places (towns), we have not yet reached a definitive conclusion. We are eagerly waiting on them to shed light on what transpired. When it happened, it was known that it was food poisoning, but the doctor’s opinion may differ. Therefore, it is important for us to hear what happened,” he said
When asked about measures taken by the NFA to prevent similar incidents in the future, Goseb highlighted the need to fully understand the root cause before implementing any preventive measures. He stressed the importance of addressing the underlying issue comprehensively.
“In any situation, prevention measures can only be formulated based on incidents that have already occurred. Therefore, we intend to thoroughly investigate the matter and subsequently devise precautionary measures to tackle any potential recurrence,” Goseb asserted.
Meanwhile, Jochen Traut, the secretary general of the NFA, also acknowledged the discharge of the referees and assured that the matter is still under investigation.
“The referees have been discharged, and we eagerly await the conclusion of the investigation,” Traut said.
He stated that once conclusive answers are obtained, the NFA will transparently communicate the way forward to the nation.