Gertze lends morale help

NAMIBIA Football Association (NFA) executive member Jackey Gertze has denied any interference in the coaching duties of the women’s national team, saying that she only lends moral support when the team needs it the most.

Jacqui Shipanga is currently the coach of the Brave Gladiators and led the team through two international friendly matches played in Windhoek last weekend. Gertze denied that she had any hand in the coaching duties of the national side from the sideline, after she sat on the bench during the second encounter of the team against Zimbabwe at the Unam Fields.Sources told The Namibian Sport at the weekend that there was a growing friction between the two in terms of issuing instructions to the players while on the field.Gertze said she has never interfered with Shipanga’s coaching duties and does not give instructions to players when they are playing.”I merely offer moral support as the head of the team and I was on the bench on Saturday to do just that.I know the girls were down and having a lot of injuries on the day.I thought it fit to be closer to them and give them support, as they are very close to my heart,” she said.She said she has been involved in the coaching of the team for sometime now and does not find it strange to offer her assistance when needed.”They were two goals down (against Zimbabwe on Saturday) and I thought I should be on the bench just to give moral support with my presence.I did not want them to feel that they are ignored by me as I was watching the match from the stands in the first half,” she said.She said she has great respect for her coaching staff and believes in their abilities.”I don’t have anything against them.I am willing to assist wherever I can, but I will never try to run the team while in play as I am not the coach,” she said.Gertze became the second woman in the history of the NFA to become an executive member after Juliene Garises was not re-elected at the last congress late last year.Garises now serves as the team manager of the Gladiators, but she earlier complained that she was being sidelined when it came to giving interviews to the press on the team.Shipanga did not comment on the allegations that were made by some sources within the team on Gertze’s alleged interference.She instead said that there was no friction between the two and they respected each other’s responsibilities.The side beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their first encounter last Friday, before they were beaten 2-0 the following day in matches that formed part of their preparations ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games qualifiers against the Democratic Republic of Congo.Namibia play DRC on February 17 in a home tie at the Independence Stadium, before they engage the same country on March 10 in Kinshasa.Gertze denied that she had any hand in the coaching duties of the national side from the sideline, after she sat on the bench during the second encounter of the team against Zimbabwe at the Unam Fields.Sources told The Namibian Sport at the weekend that there was a growing friction between the two in terms of issuing instructions to the players while on the field.Gertze said she has never interfered with Shipanga’s coaching duties and does not give instructions to players when they are playing.”I merely offer moral support as the head of the team and I was on the bench on Saturday to do just that.I know the girls were down and having a lot of injuries on the day.I thought it fit to be closer to them and give them support, as they are very close to my heart,” she said.She said she has been involved in the coaching of the team for sometime now and does not find it strange to offer her assistance when needed.”They were two goals down (against Zimbabwe on Saturday) and I thought I should be on the bench just to give moral support with my presence.I did not want them to feel that they are ignored by me as I was watching the match from the stands in the first half,” she said.She said she has great respect for her coaching staff and believes in their abilities.”I don’t have anything against them.I am willing to assist wherever I can, but I will never try to run the team while in play as I am not the coach,” she said.Gertze became the second woman in the history of the NFA to become an executive member after Juliene Garises was not re-elected at the last congress late last year.Garises now serves as the team manager of the Gladiators, but she earlier complained that she was being sidelined when it came to giving interviews to the press on the team.Shipanga did not comment on the allegations that were made by some sources within the team on Gertze’s alleged interference.She instead said that there was no friction between the two and they respected each other’s responsibilities.The side beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their first encounter last Friday, before they were beaten 2-0 the following day in matches that formed part of their preparations ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games qualifiers against the Democratic Republic of Congo.Namibia play DRC on February 17 in a home tie at the Independence Stadium, before they engage the same country on March 10 in Kinshasa.