Maqonda Ndlovu
Former Civics and Brave Warriors captain Amos Shiyuka says rumours circulating on social media about him running for the Namibia Football Association presidency are not true.
Speaking to New Era Sport on Thursday, Shiyuka said he had received calls and seen screenshots of his purported interest in the NFA top job, but none of it was true.
“I have received so many messages regarding me running for the presidency or vice presidency of the NFA with captain Bimbo (Tjihero). It is not true; I have not declared my interest. We even laughed about it because I thought it was a joke,” Shiyuka said. Efforts to get a comment from Tjihero proved fruitless at the time of going to press. Shiyuka did admit that over the previous six months, a number of people had approached him and asked him to run for the position.
“Several former players, coaches, and football administrators have approached me. I have not really seriously considered it, but it is something I would consider if it was done the right way. I do not want to go to a place where I am not wanted,” he explained.
If football people nominated him, Shiyuka stated that he would be willing to contribute to Namibian football.
He said while he had not seriously considered running in the upcoming election, he was open to the idea of going to Football House and changing the face of the game for the sake of young Namibians.
The NFA has been unstable for the past seven years, dating back to the days of Frans Mbidi, the last president who served more than one term.
The first Normalisation Committee was instituted by Fifa in 2018 after a fallout between then secretary general Barry Rukoro and Mbidi rendered the NFA ungovernable.
Hilda Basson-Namundjebo was made chairperson of that NC alongside Franco Cosmos, Gabby Ahrens, the late Matti Mwandingi, and Vivien Katjiuongua. Cosmos later went to become the SG after the election of Ranga Haikali as NFA president under the ‘Progressive Forces’ banner in February 2020. Haikali was elected alongside Izack Fredericks as the first vice president, while Rudolf Haingura took the second vice president position. The executive members were Nettie Cloete, Ingy Hiangumbi, Peter Ndjulu, Ferdinard Hausiku, Shali Amakali, Earnest Joy, and Kenneth Gaoseb.
However, the ‘Progressive Forces’ romance did not last long as the relationship between the president and SG quickly became volatile, leading to the intervention of Fifa for the second time in less than three years, with a new NC led by Bisey Uirab in March 2022.
Uirab and his lieutenants, namely Afra Schimming-Chase (deputy chairperson), Willy Mertens (member), Esmeralda Muhinatjo Katjaerua (member), and Dinaa Shituula (member), are set to vacate Football House in November when a new executive is elected into office.