The precarious log position in which Katutura giants Orlando Pirates Football Club is paddling does not exactly reflect the club’s values and cornerstone, so to speak.

Sadly, football dynamics have been altered dramatically over the past years with the unavoidable introduction of “buying success” on the field of play – chalking off traditional loyalty and tribal pride.

Gone are the days when each and every Damara or Nama-speaking young boy dreamt of one day wearing the sacred black and white strip of the Buccaneers, and gone are the days when households would decide and dictate the career paths of their offspring.

Nowadays, the volatile monetised system in almost all competitive sporting disciplines has twisted the landscape upside down where the creation of the hugely lucrative sponsorships streams and high salaries has created an inevitable microclimate to level the playing field whilst matching fellow competitors pound for pound in the game.

It’s an open secret that all successful football clubs are those with financial muscle as a result of sound investment. For example, African Stars, Black Africa, Tigers, Mighty Gunners, Tura Magic and to a lesser extent, Julinho Sporting, are well secured because of good structures in place.

These clubs are more likely to attract the  finest talent on offer because of stability prevailing within their sound management and smooth administrative structures.

Without beating about the bush, red lights have been dangerously flickering for the Ghosts over the last couple of seasons and it does not take a rocket scientist to notice that all is not well within the club. 

Needless to remind those who dare to read that Pirates have been skating on thin ice for a considerable period. The once feared Ghosts have been uncharacteristically elbowed out of the traditional Katutura big four bracket by newcomers Tura Magic and with the emergence of Mighty Gunners – the Ghosts could find themselves further down the pecking order. 
Truth be told, unless drastic changes are effected yours truly is afraid Pirates could be destined to undertake the way of the dinosaur where topflight football is concerned.

Has Mali fallen on his sword?
When Jermaine Jackson inked the hit song “the bigger you are, the harder you fall” yours truly sincerely hopes the brother did not have Mali in mind.

So, the Namibia Premier League (NPL) Disciplinary Committee (DC) has slapped a major blow to the immediate future or rather ultimate destination of MTC Premiership campaigners Young African Football Club?
By now, most of you will be fully aware that the Gobabis outfit has been stripped of its Premiership status because of contravention of rule 52.4 having been found guilty of intentionally making misrepresentation to the NPL or alternatively NFA by registering a foreign player with false identification details.

Furthermore, the exciting Epako outfit has been fined a hefty combined fee of N$50,000 to be paid not later than end of May 2019 in addition the club’s relegation from the country’s topflight football league. 

Fair enough, as much as most of us condemn dishonesty and systematic fraudulent practices, the fundamental question that needs to be addressed is; in such cases there is always the giver and the taker.

It’s amazing and very strange why the player at the centre of the dispute (the main actor in this unpleasant unfolding comedy) was let of the hook or is poor Mali being systematically victimized for other obvious reasons? I’m just wondering. I rest my case.