Best and Worst

THE Namibian Newspaper Cup this year produced some fine football and attracted the biggest crowd in domestic football this season.

But the competition, which caters for under-20 players from all the regions, was marred by some hiccups like any other tournament on this continent.
In Africa, if it is not age cheating, then it is officials complaining about transport and accommodation, or some of the tournament rules that are flung out of the window.
Before I start digging into the many problem areas I observed while covering the event, I need to make it clear that the Namibia Football Association (NFA) was responsible for running the tournament as custodians of football in the country.
The Namibian newspaper, which I work for, was merely sponsoring the event and left the responsibility of organising the fixtures and all other logistics to the NFA.
In this case, the biggest concern was the selection of players for the Shadow Team, which is traditionally pitted against the Brave Warriors.
I was shocked to see that ten players selected for the Shadow Team were from the Khomas Region.
That in itself defeated the purpose of the event and I think next time, no premier league or national team players should be considered to compete in the tournament.
It is a youth development tournament aimed at exposing hidden talent to the selectors, and not a vehicle for those who are already in the limelight on a bigger stage. That was my number one concern.
Secondly, I was surprised to hear that several players were over-aged and the NFA’s organising committee allowed this to happen.
Through this they denied some of the players who were fit to play the right to do so in front of the many spectators and the domestic club scouts.
Thirdly, I was disturbed by the fact that some rules were simply ignored during the event, especially that of a particular Omaheke player who was allowed to play in the final despite having two yellow cards that were supposed to keep him out of the game.
It is a disgrace that officials put up these rules and when they need to implement them simply turn a blind eye. Unfortunately we see these things and we will report on them.
Despite several logistical hiccups with teams in terms of transport to and from the stadium, it was also baffling to note that the president of the NFA, John Muinjo, was nowhere to be seen during the four days.
The NFA advocates the development of football at youth level, but if the man running the organisation which preaches this is nowhere to be seen, is something that I fail to comprehend.
Mr Muinjo, even if you dedicated just one day or one hour of your time to watch the games, the youngsters could have felt your presence. Believe me.
Furthermore, Sport Minister Willem Konjore met Brave Warriors coach Tom Saintfiet and technical director Klaus Staerk for the first time at the launch of the tournament. They have been Namibia for a year now.
Overall, I was impressed with the good discipline of the players on and off the field, and also the good behaviour of the crowd.
It was a fun-filled event for many spectators and an eye-opener for the young players who have never been to Windhoek and who played on an Astroturf surface for the first time in their lives.
The organisers should now take stock of all the shortcomings of this event, but most importantly re-look at the selection criteria of the Shadow Team so that it can be more inclusive.
In the same breath, thank you to all our readers and fans who enjoyed the four-day football feast and we hope to see you next year again.
corry@namibian.com.na