Carlos Kambaekwa
In terms of effective communication within organizations, one often has to look at the performance of individuals when assessing the capability of teams, and when looking at individuals one often has to run an eye at possible tensions between the requirements of the role and the actual skills of the individual both in and out of role.
Putting slave labels on people does not make them able to execute the task at hand, and knitting people together in teams does not necessarily make them good team members either.
We need people who are capable of producing an effective team which is good at generating ideas, being clear about tasks and goals, generating free communication and trust between affiliates, problem solving, assisting each other, and above all, embracing constructive criticism unlike those who believe they are above discussion while in the public domain.
Honestly speaking, the Namibian folk deserve a much better leadership in our football structures than what we have come to be content with while the game is going to the dogs. How does one explain a situation where league activities are idling for no apparent reason while players are expected to be fit in order to be selected for the national team?
The amateurish preparation for the Brave Warriors’ crucial away match against Ethiopia in the African Nations Cup qualifiers leaves a bitter taste in the mouth and time calls for the powers at Soccer House to apply brakes with brutal force by invitation of the current mess in which our national team finds itself entangled.
The eleventh hour cancellation of the international friendly which was to have taken place between the Brave Warriors and Angola’s Palanca Negras once again adds weight to the suspicion that the organization is administered alongside Cuca Shop lines.
Excuse the pun! No offence to Kambashu owners, but in all honesty, flexibility in a one man’s show is a different kettle of fish to that of public property.
In any kind of business, planning is driven and determined by the size of your budget, period! – which brings us to the inevitable question as to how on this universe the NFA could arrange an international friendly without balancing the damage.
The usual lame excuses advanced always leave yours truly trembling with anger that even the God of Anger would not envy this dude, since I’m left to believe that we are being taken for a ride. We are being fed with a variety of beef that playing host is an extremely costly exercise than playing away – that’s crap! Please furnish us with a comprehensive breakdown on the costs to be incurred on both sides of the coin.
What is primarily needed when hosting a team is for the hosts to foot the bill for the visitors’ accommodation, meals, transport while the team remains your guest, and for the fees for the five match officials, including the match commissioner, – a task that can be easily achieved through gate takings, broadcast rights and sponsors.
If the Association were ever serious about Namibia’s entrance in Ghana, they could have grabbed the chance with both hands of playing an opponent with the calibre of Angola as preparation for next weekend’s do-or-die clash against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
To add salt to the wounds, the Technical team is battling to assemble a decent team for a match of such magnitude while the selection is further hamstrung by the self-imposed exile of our most experienced defender George Hummel.
Nothing is cast in stone and we all know by now why Hummel decided to shun the National team, but little is done to convince the hard tackling defender to reconsider his return to national duty.
If we could welcome back Ronnie Kanalelo with open arms after leaving the nation in the lurch at the time when he was needed the most, why not bury the hatchet with Hummel.
Quinton Jacobs was paraded as a disruptive influence in the Warriors’ setup after he told some members of the Technical team where to get off – now he is back in the fold and no single word is uttered as to what led to the parties smoking the peace pipe if the same cannot be applied in the cases of Hummel and Razundara Tjikuzu.
It appears that transparency and honesty have become a serious offence in the corridors of Soccer House because yours truly has it on good authority that the Association was once again caught snoozing with its application for funds to be released by the line Ministry via the National Sports Commission within the required period.
Before I sign off, I’m not entertaining any ideas of turning this column into an obituary page, but I would be failing in my duty if I don’t pay tribute to a fallen hero.
I would like to send my condolences to the entire African Stars family, relatives and acquaintances of Patrick “16 Valve” Basson who went to meet his maker early this week after losing his battle with a long illness.
Patrick, a true gentleman on and off the field, was a menace to many defenders with his blistering pace and formed a deadly combination with both his long time pals Juku Tjazuko and Tsetse Nerumbu after joining African Stars from Robber Chanties.
I vividly remember this well cultured ebony-skinned lad when he started out with the Khorixas outfit in the mid-eighties, where he made an immediate impression alongside the dangerous Haosemab twins Peter and Paul – the trio could be likened to the exciting Swallows front men of Jeffrey ‘Tornado’ Nzimande, Frederick ‘Congo’ Malebane and Joel ‘Ace’ Mnini.
Brrra Pats! May your soul rest in eternal peace in one piece.