WINDHOEK – Namibian football has been thrown into further turmoil after the country’s elite football league’s Prosecutor Kadhila Amoomo made a recommendation to the Namibia Premiership (NPL) hierarchy to suspend one of its affiliates, Young African Football Club, from all football-related activities with immediate effect.
This latest twist is a result of a protest levelled against the Gobabis outfit for allegedly fielding an improperly registered player, Zambian national Tapiwa Simon Musekiwa.
In a letter seen by New Era Sport dated 5th of November 2018, it’s stated that the club must be suspended pending finalisation of disciplinary proceedings.
“Kindly be informed that my office has commenced the prosecution process in line with instituting disciplinary proceedings against Young African Football Club and Mr Tapiwa Simon Musekiwa on the basis of fraud and violation of the NPL Manual on Rules and Regulations No: 52.4 respectively,” reads the letter verbatim, signed by NPL Prosecutor Kadhila Amoomo.
It further states the seriousness of the allegations especially with regard they have to the possible consequences and in view of the fact that the league is set to commence on the 9th of November 2018.
‘It’s hereby recommended that Young Chiefs Football Club and Mr Tapuwa Simon Musekiwa be suspended and subsequently barred from participating in league activities pending the finalisation of disciplinary proceedings against them,” concludes the statement.
However, the fundamental question that needs to be addressed is who is going to adjudicate in the dispute, in the long-dragging conspicuous absence of a Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).
“Look, the player under investigation approached us and we wrote a letter to the NPL to process his registration with African Stars without further delay because as far we are concerned he is a free agent since he was nowhere registered on the NPL Data System,” charged Namibia Football Players Union (NAFPU) secretary general Olsen Kahiriri, when approached to shed light on the debacle.
“It boils down to the fractured structures prevailing within our football. As it stands, there are no existing structures in terms of a National Dispute Resolution Chamber because such a structure cannot exist without 50% representation from the union (FIPRO),” stresses the often misunderstood uncompromising unionist.
It’s aggressively argued that Musekiwa played for Young African FC under an assumed name (Albert Mukundjindjira) last term but when he decided to change clubs to fulfill his desire to join reigning Namibian champions African Stars – it was then discovered that he was indeed the same player that featured for the Epako outfit last term.
Contrary to Kahiriri’s claim that the player was not registered with the NPL, the league’s chief administrator Tovey Hoabeb and Young African sole boss Mali Ngarizemo confirmed that the player was registered under the disguised name of Albert Mukundjindjira.
“He joined us last term under the name of Mukundjindjira, and it only came to light that he was using a false identity when he tried to jump ship without following proper channels to obtain his clearance from us.
“If a player joins my team and proves me with his name and details, why should I doubt his word? It’s incumbent upon the presiding football authority to verify the authenticity of his identity,” fumed Ngarizemo.