Tough choice for NFA

By: CORRY IHUHUA

THE Namibia Football Association is faced with a difficult choice.

Either it hires Blue Waters coach Shepherd Murape as caretaker

coach of the Brave Warriors over an unspecified period, or acquire

his services specifically to take charge of the Cosafa Castle Cup

match against Angola in May.

The snag with the first option is that it entails buying him out

of his current contract with the coastal side.

 

NFA spokesperson Cassius Moetie yesterday told The Namibian

Sport that the association was still deliberating about signing the

Zimbabwean-born coach for the troubled Warriors side, but

acknowledged the choice was a tough one.

 

"It will be costly to get him to be the caretaker coach of the

side until we find a replacement, as we have to buy him out of his

current contract with Blue Waters.

 

It will basically be a breach of contract for him with the side

if he wants to commit himself to the Warriors, that's why we will

be required to pay for the remainder of his contract," Moetie

said.

 

Murape's contract with Blue Waters expires at the end of June

this year.

 

Moetie said a better option might be to hire him to specifically

for the Cosafa Castle Cup match on May 9, and then release him

again "But this is option is still under discussion".

 

Murape was earmarked to take over the Brave Warriors job in a

temporary capacity after the resignation of former technical

director Peter Ueberjahn last November.

 

The association initially wanted him to take charge of the team

for the Cosafa match, but also indicated that he might be in charge

after that date until a suitable candidate has been found for the

job.

 

Earlier this year NFA President Petrus Damaseb declined to

specify a time frame for hiring a permanent Warriors coach, saying

the team were "not in a hurry".

 

Namibia has been banished from competitive international

football for the next three years after losing out in both the

African and World Cup preliminary qualifiers.

 

The only competition is the annual Cosafa Castle Cup which is

played on a knockout basis, in which Namibia is expected to play

away against Angola.

 

Contacted for comment yesterday, Murape said he was waiting for

a formal proposal from the NFA to use his services.

 

"I am still waiting for them to send me the proposal as they

indicated before.

 

At this stage I wont be able to say anything on that," he

said.

 

Since taking charge with Blue Waters, Murape has won the MTC

Christmas Cup with them, and his side tops the domestic league at

the moment.

 

The snag with the first option is that it entails buying him out of

his current contract with the coastal side.NFA spokesperson Cassius

Moetie yesterday told The Namibian Sport that the association was

still deliberating about signing the Zimbabwean-born coach for the

troubled Warriors side, but acknowledged the choice was a tough

one."It will be costly to get him to be the caretaker coach of the

side until we find a replacement, as we have to buy him out of his

current contract with Blue Waters. It will basically be a breach of

contract for him with the side if he wants to commit himself to the

Warriors, that's why we will be required to pay for the remainder

of his contract," Moetie said.Murape's contract with Blue Waters

expires at the end of June this year.Moetie said a better option

might be to hire him to specifically for the Cosafa Castle Cup

match on May 9, and then release him again "But this is option is

still under discussion".Murape was earmarked to take over the Brave

Warriors job in a temporary capacity after the resignation of

former technical director Peter Ueberjahn last November.The

association initially wanted him to take charge of the team for the

Cosafa match, but also indicated that he might be in charge after

that date until a suitable candidate has been found for the

job.Earlier this year NFA President Petrus Damaseb declined to

specify a time frame for hiring a permanent Warriors coach, saying

the team were "not in a hurry". Namibia has been banished from

competitive international football for the next three years after

losing out in both the African and World Cup preliminary

qualifiers.The only competition is the annual Cosafa Castle Cup

which is played on a knockout basis, in which Namibia is expected

to play away against Angola.Contacted for comment yesterday, Murape

said he was waiting for a formal proposal from the NFA to use his

services."I am still waiting for them to send me the proposal as

they indicated before. At this stage I wont be able to say anything

on that," he said.Since taking charge with Blue Waters, Murape has

won the MTC Christmas Cup with them, and his side tops the domestic

league at the moment.

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