Ekandjo blasts ‘clueless’ football leaders

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Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) Chief of Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer, Tim Ekandjo says the current leadership at Namibia Football Association should resign en masse.

Speaking at the 17th Edition of the Namibia Annual Sports Awards on Saturday in Windhoek, Ekandjo bluntly told the leaders to “have the courage to ask the nation for forgiveness for the mess you have caused in football, then pack your bags and resign and please don’t ever come back again”.

In his speech which he termed ‘honest and respectful’, Ekandjo said he was addressing the NFA leadership on behalf of the nation since the country was hurt by the rotten development in the sport.

“We are estimating that Namibian football already lags behind at least 15 years and yet you have the audacity to continue playing with the lives of our footballers who have now become unemployed and turned to crime to make a living. What if these players were your own children?” he fumed.

He castigated the current leadership for firing and failing to replace former national team coach Ricardo Mannetti whom he said had done nothing but make the nation proud with his achievements.

“It is as if you are allergic to excellence and have become the worst enemy of the game which we all love. The players were in dire need to make a living. We, therefore, have only one message for you tonight and we hope you act accordingly and stop hiding behind FIFA statutes and regulations when it suits you,” Ekandjo continued.

He called out the so-called ‘progressive forces’ for failing to come up with a plan to take the sport in the right direction, even comparing them to primary school children.

“They told this nation we do not need a manifesto to win the elections and they won it. Even at the primary school level when they elect prefects, these kids are required to show a manifesto so that those electing them can hold them accountable,” he continued.

Meanwhile, NFA president Ranga Haikali said while he was not at the awards, he agrees with various points raised by Ekandjo, saying the current situation in football is bad.

Ekandjo’s remarks come in the background of football being in limbo with infighting amongst the executive committee of the NFA while the league has not been played for several years.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency