Johnson not ‘hired’ yet

THE Namibia Football Association has not yet decided on officially hiring Chief Santos mentor Max Johnson as care-taker coach for the Brave Warriors, as they first have to negotiate with his current employers – Government.

Johnson told The Namibian Sport yesterday that he was waiting for an answer from the NFA whether he will receive his monthly salary as a principal of the St. Francis Primary School at Tsumeb, if he accepts the NFA’s offer. “I am very much interested in the job of coaching the national team, but the NFA needs to solve the issue with the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture who are my employers,” he said.Johnson was this week approached by the association to lead the side for the Cosafa Castle Cup tie against Angola in May, after talks with Blue Waters coach Shepherd Murape reached a deadlock late this week.He said if he takes two months leave, he wants to be compensated for it on a headmaster’s salary, since that is his full-time job.NFA’s spokesperson Cassius Moetie confirmed that negotiations with the Ministry were ongoing and he would know ‘in due course’ if Johnson is appointed on an interim basis or not.The NFA intends to task Johnson – who was a pre-independence national defender – with the responsibility of preparing and taking the Warriors to the Cosafa Cup, which is to be played in Luanda on May 9.Murape, who was strongly tipped for the job, did not reach an agreement with the mother-body, with the main stumbling block being his contractual obligations with Blue Waters.Murape, who hails from Zimbabwe, is employed on a full-time basis by the coastal side, while Johnson – who is also known as ‘Zoda Five’ – has been in charge of Chief Santos since 1981 on a voluntary basis.He said his responsibilities with Santos would not have a negative bearing on his interim position with Warriors.Former Warriors striker Gerros Uri-khob is the assistant coach at Santos.”I am very much interested in the job of coaching the national team, but the NFA needs to solve the issue with the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture who are my employers,” he said. Johnson was this week approached by the association to lead the side for the Cosafa Castle Cup tie against Angola in May, after talks with Blue Waters coach Shepherd Murape reached a deadlock late this week. He said if he takes two months leave, he wants to be compensated for it on a headmaster’s salary, since that is his full-time job. NFA’s spokesperson Cassius Moetie confirmed that negotiations with the Ministry were ongoing and he would know ‘in due course’ if Johnson is appointed on an interim basis or not. The NFA intends to task Johnson – who was a pre-independence national defender – with the responsibility of preparing and taking the Warriors to the Cosafa Cup, which is to be played in Luanda on May 9. Murape, who was strongly tipped for the job, did not reach an agreement with the mother-body, with the main stumbling block being his contractual obligations with Blue Waters. Murape, who hails from Zimbabwe, is employed on a full-time basis by the coastal side, while Johnson – who is also known as ‘Zoda Five’ – has been in charge of Chief Santos since 1981 on a voluntary basis. He said his responsibilities with Santos would not have a negative bearing on his interim position with Warriors. Former Warriors striker Gerros Uri-khob is the assistant coach at Santos.