FNB Cup at Independence

THE semi-finals and final of the FNB Cup will be played at the Independence Stadium instead of the Sam Nujoma Stadium because of the poor condition of the Katutura facility.

FNB spokesperson Cassius Moetie says the pitch at the Sam Nujoma Stadium is in such a state that it will compromise the performance of the teams when the FNB Cup resumes with semi-final matches this weekend. The Sam Nujoma Stadium, which is situated in Katutura, was constructed with the main purpose of serving the football fans in that suburb, as it is within walking distance.Most football supporters walk to the stadium, which has a capacity of at least 8 000, and will now have to pay for taxi fares to the Independence Stadium on the southern outskirts of the city.Moetie said the FNB Cup was a lucrative tournament and he saw no point in teams playing on a poorly maintained pitch.”The field is bumpy and we as a sponsor don’t want to be blamed for organising a tournament on a pitch which will affect the performance of the teams,” he said.He said the Namibia Football Association has also recommended that matches be played at the Independence Stadium instead.But last weekend, four top-quality matches in the Namibia Premier League (NPL) were played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.This year, the Sam Nujoma Stadium has also hosted four Cosafa Castle Cup matches, the under-20 Zone Six Youth Games matches, an international friendly between Namibia and South Africa, as well as an African Nations Cup qualifier between Namibia and Ethiopia.Although the sponsors realise how inconvenient it would be for the Katutura-based fans of African Stars, Civics and Black Africa to travel to the Independence Stadium, Moetie said they cannot compromise on quality.”It is also the position of the Namibia Football Consortium.The NFC has decided to instead take it to the Independence Stadium, despite the demand that will be there for the games to be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium,” he said.He further confirmed that in future, all matches, be it the MTC Cup or any other tournaments under the banner of the consortium, will be played at the Independence Stadium if the Sam Nujoma Stadium was not up to scratch.He said the football authorities have asked the City of Windhoek on several occasions to look into the poor quality of the pitch, but to date, nothing has been done.In Saturday’s first semi-final match, Black Africa meet African Stars at 16h00, before Civics take on Blue Waters at 18h00.The final will be played on December 16.The winner of the tournament receives N$170 000, the runners-up N$70 000, while the two semi-finalists will go home with N$20 000 each.The Sam Nujoma Stadium, which is situated in Katutura, was constructed with the main purpose of serving the football fans in that suburb, as it is within walking distance.Most football supporters walk to the stadium, which has a capacity of at least 8 000, and will now have to pay for taxi fares to the Independence Stadium on the southern outskirts of the city.Moetie said the FNB Cup was a lucrative tournament and he saw no point in teams playing on a poorly maintained pitch.”The field is bumpy and we as a sponsor don’t want to be blamed for organising a tournament on a pitch which will affect the performance of the teams,” he said.He said the Namibia Football Association has also recommended that matches be played at the Independence Stadium instead.But last weekend, four top-quality matches in the Namibia Premier League (NPL) were played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.This year, the Sam Nujoma Stadium has also hosted four Cosafa Castle Cup matches, the under-20 Zone Six Youth Games matches, an international friendly between Namibia and South Africa, as well as an African Nations Cup qualifier between Namibia and Ethiopia.Although the sponsors realise how inconvenient it would be for the Katutura-based fans of African Stars, Civics and Black Africa to travel to the Independence Stadium, Moetie said they cannot compromise on quality.”It is also the position of the Namibia Football Consortium.The NFC has decided to instead take it to the Independence Stadium, despite the demand that will be there for the games to be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium,” he said.He further confirmed that in future, all matches, be it the MTC Cup or any other tournaments under the banner of the consortium, will be played at the Independence Stadium if the Sam Nujoma Stadium was not up to scratch.He said the football authorities have asked the City of Windhoek on several occasions to look into the poor quality of the pitch, but to date, nothing has been done.In Saturday’s first semi-final match, Black Africa meet African Stars at 16h00, before Civics take on Blue Waters at 18h00.The final will be played on December 16.The winner of the tournament receives N$170 000, the runners-up N$70 000, while the two semi-finalists will go home with N$20 000 each.