From the sideline

THE debate around the appointment of the national coach for Namibia’s Brave Warriors will unquestionably be one of the most topical points within the next few weeks, but the question is, will it be a foreign or local mentor? With no one at the helm of a team that anyway does not exist, the coach who comes in surely has a lot of work to do to put together a credible side that can at least go past the first hedge of the lucrative Cosafa Castle Cup in July.

The new coach will at least have four months to gather a side that he thinks can pip the visitors at the Independence Stadium as Namibia takes on Seychelles in their first match. Be it a foreign or a local coach, results will be crucial to instil a glimmer of pride among the Namibian football fraternity.Let’s look at the advantages of a local coach.He or she, if there are any females, which I doubt, will certainly have a better understanding of the local game.Secondly, a local coach will be cheaper to sustain salary-wise, as the Namibia Football Association (NFA) can possibly not afford astronomical figures considering their financial situation.Those are the two biggest advantages for the locals, but there is also a downside to it.It will not be easy for the local coach to run the affairs of the game from the bench solely, as there will be constant interference, be it from the bosses themselves or his team assisting him to do the job.This has happened a lot in the local game; it is even evident in the domestic league.Nothing wrong with his assistant suggesting tactics and giving advice on various issues on the game, but pressure will of course come from the top.The nation is also entitled to call for a non-performing coach’s head, because their taxes pay his salary.Pressure will come from fellow coaches who have possibly eyed the job and jealousies cannot be ruled out.These are some of the disadvantages in case a local coach does not produce results, but if he does, good and well.But a coaching job is not always guaranteed.The fact is, coaches are sacked because either their management styles are wrong, they employ the wrong players who do not perform, their knowledge of the game is questionable or their level of professionalism lets them down.Namibia has an amateur league and there are no professional coaches who are doing the job on a full-time basis, with the exception of Civics boss Helmut Scharnowski and Blue Waters Shepherd Murape.The rest are full-time employees at one or other company or in the civil service.In Namibia, some of the local coaches have football qualifications, but when it comes to real coaching, they tend to fail as theory sometimes does not work when put in practice, especially in football.This is a game of innovation and only smart, charismatic but experienced mentors can handle the pressure and eventually come out tops – if given enough time.Namibia has no seasoned coaches who have done the rounds across the globe and this is already a minus to whoever applied from the local fraternity.Good if you have the faith and ambition, but as much as your profile is impressive to the panellists, it should also reflect positively on the performance of the team – if chosen to coach.The foreign coach will have the disadvantage of starting from scratch with whichever players he selects, but the advantage is that Namibia has foreign-based players who are already at an advanced level of the game.The task will be to find the right combinations and make the right decisions and avoid that cloud of uncertainty when sitting on the bench.Another downside will be the salary issue, which needs to be agreed upon.It will be expensive to pay a foreign coach and what will the terms of employment from the football authorities? A contracted be coach will have more room to experiment with the different players as much as he can (depending on the duration of the contract), but for a temporary one such as South Africa’s Ted Dumitru, it will be a matter of making a quick buck.But, a foreign coach will bring in a fresh approach to the Namibian game, which can yield the desired results.Not guaranteed though.The foreign gaffer will be expected to have all the experience in coaching and provided his record is favourable (not the CV, but the results of the teams that he has coached) it will even be in the interest of the Warriors.I personally believe that a foreign coach will be the answer to Namibian football because all local coaches have been tried and tested and little if anything has been achieved with them.The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has the last say on this, but a wrong choice will be detrimental to a nation that has been starved of victory for a long time now.Someone has to be fired immediately if that happens.We want results, not promises.Be it a foreign or a local coach, results will be crucial to instil a glimmer of pride among the Namibian football fraternity.Let’s look at the advantages of a local coach.He or she, if there are any females, which I doubt, will certainly have a better understanding of the local game.Secondly, a local coach will be cheaper to sustain salary-wise, as the Namibia Football Association (NFA) can possibly not afford astronomical figures considering their financial situation.Those are the two biggest advantages for the locals, but there is also a downside to it.It will not be easy for the local coach to run the affairs of the game from the bench solely, as there will be constant interference, be it from the bosses themselves or his team assisting him to do the job.This has happened a lot in the local game; it is even evident in the domestic league.Nothing wrong with his assistant suggesting tactics and giving advice on various issues on the game, but pressure will of course come from the top.The nation is also entitled to call for a non-performing coach’s head, because their taxes pay his salary.Pressure will come from fellow coaches who have possibly eyed the job and jealousies cannot be ruled out.These are some of the disadvantages in case a local coach does not produce results, but if he does, good and well.But a coaching job is not always guaranteed.The fact is, coaches are sacked because either their management styles are wrong, they employ the wrong players who do not perform, their knowledge of the game is questionable or their level of professionalism lets them down.Namibia has an amateur league and there are no professional coaches who are doing the job on a full-time basis, with the exception of Civics boss Helmut Scharnowski and Blue Waters Shepherd Murape.The rest are full-time employees at one or other company or in the civil service.In Namibia, some of the local coaches have football qualifications, but when it comes to real coaching, they tend to fail as theory sometimes does not work when put in practice, especially in football.This is a game of innovation and only smart, charismatic but experienced mentors can handle the pressure and eventually come out tops – if given enough time.Namibia has no seasoned coaches who have done the rounds across the globe and this is already a minus to whoever applied from the local fraternity.Good if you have the faith and ambition, but as much as your profile is impressive to the panellists, it should also reflect positively on the performance of the team – if chosen to coach.The foreign coach will have the disadvantage of starting from scratch with whichever players he selects, but the advantage is that Namibia has foreign-based players who are already at an advanced level of the game.The task will be to find the right combinations and make the right decisions and avoid that cloud of uncertainty when sitting on the bench.Another downside will be the salary issue, which needs to be agreed upon.It will be expensive to pay a foreign coach and what will the terms of employment from the football authorities? A contracted be coach will have more room to experiment with the different players as much as he can (depending on the duration of the contract), but for a temporary one such as South Africa’s Ted Dumitru, it will be a matter of making a quick buck.But, a foreign coach will bring in a fresh approach to the Namibian game, which can yield the desired results.Not guaranteed though.The foreign gaffer will be expected to have all the experience in coaching and provided his record is favourable (not the CV, but the results of the teams that he has coached) it will even be in the interest of the Warriors.I personally believe that a foreign coach will be the answer to Namibian football because all local coaches have been tried and tested and little if anything has been achieved with them.The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has the last say on this, but a wrong choice will be detrimental to a nation that has been starved of victory for a long time now.Someone has to be fired immediately if that happens.We want results, not promises.