From the Sidelines: Stadiums call for fans

FOOTBALL fans who have stopped making their way to local premiership matches are missing out big time on the hot action, competitiveness, skill and flair that come to the fore from the players over weekends.

Not many will agree that there is so much competitiveness in the local game, but believe you me – football has changed for the better in this country. Despite the national team that has performed on an average level in its matches last year, the domestic scene has been set alight since the league has started at the beginning of November last year.The money that is currently being pumped into the game has raised the standard of the game and many who witness these encounters will agree that the local players have to a certain extent surpassed the performance of some players who are doing duty for top South African clubs.The teams that have so far impressed with great play are Civics, Tigers, Ramblers, Blue Waters, Orlando Pirates and Black Africa.The other teams in the league have also contributed to great competition and players in those teams have demonstrated that they are all worthy of a call-up to the national team.In fact, most teams have an abundance of youngsters and with the presence of some experienced players, they make a good combination and this all adds up to exciting football in the near empty stadiums on weekends.Last Friday’s matches were well attended at the SKW Stadium and this actually showed that the support bases of teams such as Orlando Pirates, BA and Tigers are well and alive.There is a perception that Namibian football is of low standard and the quality is incomparable with leagues in especially South Africa – whoever thinks in those terms is wrong.If you want to prove yourselves wrong or right, go to any premiership match over the weekend and see how interesting Namibian football really is.There is also another factor that has raised the standard of the game and it is the professional approach that most of these teams have taken towards the game.Teams seem to be more organised now, as most are providing for accommodation during camping sessions for their players, transport to and from the stadium and the players are well catered for when it comes to nutritional needs.Most teams have well-established structures in terms of committees, although some are not visible, but this does not detract from the brilliant performances of our players on the pitch.Also, the matches have been starting on time unlike in the past and this is also a good sign because spectators tend to get frustrated if matches are delayed.It is a positive development and we hope that the trend of the kick-off time will be maintained by league administrator Tovey //Hoebeb and his staff at the Namibia Premier League office.The area that needs to be looked at and which has really created a lot of problems in the game is refereeing.There are a lot of blunders that are being made by the local refs and this should be addressed with the utmost urgency.The chief of the refs, Boy-Boy Ndjadila, is well aware of this problem and it will be good if referees and their assistants are being tested on a regular basis on their game-handling skills, because there are important decisions that are at times wrongly made and this affects the teams.Teams even lose because of the poor judgement of referees and this needs to stop.Well, there will be plenty of action in Windhoek this weekend.All the premiership teams will be heading to the capital and the venues will be the SKW Stadium and Independence Stadium.For the regular football fanatic, it will be good to catch the action of your favourite team in the domestic league, while the ones who have failed to do so in the recent past are invited to go and watch the beautiful game live – instead of being glued to their television sets.In any case, most of the local games are scheduled in such a way that they don’t clash with important international football fixtures.It is up to the spectators to fill up the stadiums because it will be good for the players as they will up their game, while it will also be valuable income for these teams to upgrade their facilities and cater for the many needs they have.Despite the national team that has performed on an average level in its matches last year, the domestic scene has been set alight since the league has started at the beginning of November last year.The money that is currently being pumped into the game has raised the standard of the game and many who witness these encounters will agree that the local players have to a certain extent surpassed the performance of some players who are doing duty for top South African clubs.The teams that have so far impressed with great play are Civics, Tigers, Ramblers, Blue Waters, Orlando Pirates and Black Africa.The other teams in the league have also contributed to great competition and players in those teams have demonstrated that they are all worthy of a call-up to the national team.In fact, most teams have an abundance of youngsters and with the presence of some experienced players, they make a good combination and this all adds up to exciting football in the near empty stadiums on weekends.Last Friday’s matches were well attended at the SKW Stadium and this actually showed that the support bases of teams such as Orlando Pirates, BA and Tigers are well and alive.There is a perception that Namibian football is of low standard and the quality is incomparable with leagues in especially South Africa – whoever thinks in those terms is wrong.If you want to prove yourselves wrong or right, go to any premiership match over the weekend and see how interesting Namibian football really is.There is also another factor that has raised the standard of the game and it is the professional approach that most of these teams have taken towards the game.Teams seem to be more organised now, as most are providing for accommodation during camping sessions for their players, transport to and from the stadium and the players are well catered for when it comes to nutritional needs.Most teams have well-established structures in terms of committees, although some are not visible, but this does not detract from the brilliant performances of our players on the pitch.Also, the matches have been starting on time unlike in the past and this is also a good sign because spectators tend to get frustrated if matches are delayed.It is a positive development and we hope that the trend of the kick-off time will be maintained by league administrator Tovey //Hoebeb and his staff at the Namibia Premier League office.The area that needs to be looked at and which has really created a lot of problems in the game is refereeing.There are a lot of blunders that are being made by the local refs and this should be addressed with the utmost urgency.The chief of the refs, Boy-Boy Ndjadila, is well aware of this problem and it will be good if referees and their assistants are being tested on a regular basis on their game-handling skills, because there are important decisions that are at times wrongly made and this affects the teams.Teams even lose because of the poor judgement of referees and this needs to stop.Well, there will be plenty of action in Windhoek this weekend.All the premiership teams will be heading to the capital and the venues will be the SKW Stadium and Independence Stadium.For the regular football fanatic, it will be good to catch the action of your favourite team in the domestic league, while the ones who have failed to do so in the recent past are invited to go and watch the beautiful game live – instead of being glued to their television sets.In any case, most of the local games are scheduled in such a way that they don’t clash with important international football fixtures.It is up to the spectators to fill up the stadiums because it will be good for the players as they will up their game, while it will also be valuable income for these teams to upgrade their facilities and cater for the many needs they have.