Muinjo speaks on football

THE Namibian Football Association will elect a new president on October 28.

The Namibian Sport’s reporter CORRY IHUHUA brings you an interview with the association’s acting president John Muinjo, who will stand for the hot seat. CI: For how long have you been serving football and what are your current portfolios outside Namibian football? JM: I have been serving organised football since 1984 as an administrator and referee.After Namibia’s Independence, I became one of the first Namibian referees to be admitted to the Fifa Panel of International Referees.Ever since I have remained actively involved at various levels of our game and as such football has become a way of life for me.I am currently a member of the Cosafa Executive Committee, Chairman of the Cosafa Referees’ Committee, Caf Referee Instructor, Member of the Caf Women’s Football Committee, Fifa and Caf match commissioner and Caf and Fifa Referees’ Inspector.CI: In what way do you think you will serve Namibian football better than any other of the other candidates for the presidency? JM: I think my experience, after having served the game for so long at different levels, both locally and internationally, my worldwide football contacts and exposure at all levels of our game, will give me the edge over the others.Besides that, my election, if I am elected, will represent continuity.In addition, I have a passion for football and my all-out commitment to Namibian football is one of my greatest assets.CI: What are the major problems that Namibian football faces and how do you intend to solve them? JM: One: Funding of football, particularly at club and regional level, which we aim to rectify through the introduction of additional sponsors to the game, particularly at the level of the clubs and regional leagues where there is indeed dire need.I want to emphasise that if we are to make a difference, sponsorship money should be funnelled down to the clubs and regional leagues.A marketing arm of the association will soon be established to concentrate purely on this aspect of our game.Two: Administrative capacity at the headquarters and across the NFA membership.For the NFA to start moving away from the current slump in administrative capacity, it must be moved to the level where it can start to compete for the best administrative talent available in the Namibian job-marke.Three: Effective and sustainable youth development programmes.For the game in this country to move forward, we need to go back to the basics and develop the game from grassroots all the way up.That is why we are already putting in so much in terms of training for referees, coaches and administrators at all levels.The clubs will have to assume more responsibility with regard to development through the introduction of youth football structures inside the clubs.Four: Turning the Brave Warriors into a national team of international repute.CI: Funding for the NFA has been a problem over the years.How do you want to make the association profitable run it on business principles? JM: Football associations will never become businesses.They will always be associations not for gain.That is why I earlier referred to the establishment of a business arm for the NFA – a body that will operate independently from the NFA and on total business principles.This body, which will have its own chief executive officer and staff, would do business and raise funds for the game, using the capacity of and goodwill that exists for our game.CI: The Government is the biggest financial contributor to football, besides Fifa and the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC).Do you have any ideas on how to source more sponsorships for the domestic leagues, the national teams and the activities of the association in general? JM: Government is financially actually a bigger supporter of our game than Fifa and I appreciate that.I am also mindful of the big contribution being made by the NFC.One of the first areas that I will recommend strongly to be explored is the issue of the advertising space around the stadiums at NFA matches, which in terms of the contract with the NFC is allocated to the NFA.We must use that to raise more funds for the development of our game.Kit sponsorship is another area we are already working on.Soon we will conclude a deal with a reputable manufacturer.That will put us in a position to provide replicas to the Brave Warriors fans, which means an avenue for more resources to the game.I will also, for the first time in our history, offer sponsorship opportunities to corporate houses outside Windhoek.Cities such as Walvis Bay, Luederitz, Oshakati and Rundu have a lot of potential and can contribute, particularly at regional and club level.CI: How do you intend to position the NFA in attaining its credibility as the mother body of football and what type of individuals would you want to surround yourself with in achieving this? JM: Credibility has always been an important cornerstone of my life and will always continue to be.I will spend a lot of energy to restore the good name of the game and I know that I will, in the process, not make a lot of friends but I also know that it comes with the territory.I will introduce competent individuals to the game.They do not need to be former football people, particularly not those I intend to use in the association’s business arm.The idea is to open the association to new and progressive ideas and move away from the self-imposed limited access to new ideas the game finds itself in at the moment.CI: What are your biggest achievements as one of the most senior football administrators over the past years? JM: One: Qualification for Burkina Faso ’98.The reason why I think it stands out is very obvious.Qualification for the major international competitions is the reason why we are in business, or at least that is what the clients of football believe and we better deliver on that.Also not to be overlooked are the Brave Warriors’ two appearances in the Cosafa Castle Cup Finals and the women’s team stint at the finals in Lusaka recently.Two: Concluding the N$40 million deal with the NFC.Three: Appointing Ben Bamfuchile as national coach of Namibia.CI: What makes you stand out as the best candidate to become president of the Namibia Football Association? JM: I am not sure whether I am the best candidate, but I have always taken good care of myself to ensure that morally I will be the best candidate I can.I am highly experienced and football-wise well connected, both locally and internationally.My international connections are already paying off for Namibia.You will have noticed that in recent months we have benefited from CAF training opportunities in the form of courses for referees and coaches, while the first ever Fifa Symposium on Women Football in Africa will take place here in Windhoek from November 20 to 26.Namibia is also one of the first countries which will benefit from Fifa’s new project under the name ‘Goal Africa.’where Fifa will spend US$650 000 to provide artificial turfs to national associations in Africa..CI: If elected as president, how do you see the future of Namibian football (domestic league and national teams) by 2010? JM: Domestic league: At least semi-professional clubs with youth football teams from under-10 all the way through to the under-20 age group attached to each senior club in the country.National teams: Qualification for Angola 2010 on the back of qualification for Ghana 2008 and making a serious bid for qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2010.Qualification for the 2009 African Youth Championship and a final appearance in the Cosafa under-20 Championship.Women’s football at different ages to be supported for them to compete in competitions.Please Note: Another candidate for the NFA presidency, Hendrik Dawids, will answer similar questions in an interview to be published on October 20.CI: For how long have you been serving football and what are your current portfolios outside Namibian football? JM: I have been serving organised football since 1984 as an administrator and referee.After Namibia’s Independence, I became one of the first
Namibian referees to be admitted to the Fifa Panel of International Referees.Ever since I have remained actively involved at various levels of our game and as such football has become a way of life for me.I am currently a member of the Cosafa Executive Committee, Chairman of the Cosafa Referees’ Committee, Caf Referee Instructor, Member of the Caf Women’s Football Committee, Fifa and Caf match commissioner and Caf and Fifa Referees’ Inspector.CI: In what way do you think you will serve Namibian football better than any other of the other candidates for the presidency? JM: I think my experience, after having served the game for so long at different levels, both locally and internationally, my worldwide football contacts and exposure at all levels of our game, will give me the edge over the others.Besides that, my election, if I am elected, will represent continuity.In addition, I have a passion for football and my all-out commitment to Namibian football is one of my greatest assets.CI: What are the major problems that Namibian football faces and how do you intend to solve them? JM: One: Funding of football, particularly at club and regional level, which we aim to rectify through the introduction of additional sponsors to the game, particularly at the level of the clubs and regional leagues where there is indeed dire need.I want to emphasise that if we are to make a difference, sponsorship money should be funnelled down to the clubs and regional leagues.A marketing arm of the association will soon be established to concentrate purely on this aspect of our game.Two: Administrative capacity at the headquarters and across the NFA membership.For the NFA to start moving away from the current slump in administrative capacity, it must be moved to the level where it can start to compete for the best administrative talent available in the Namibian job-marke.Three: Effective and sustainable youth development programmes.For the game in this country to move forward, we need to go back to the basics and develop the game from grassroots all the way up.That is why we are already putting in so much in terms of training for referees, coaches and administrators at all levels.The clubs will have to assume more responsibility with regard to development through the introduction of youth football structures inside the clubs.Four: Turning the Brave Warriors into a national team of international repute.CI: Funding for the NFA has been a problem over the years.How do you want to make the association profitable run it on business principles? JM: Football associations will never become businesses.They will always be associations not for gain.That is why I earlier referred to the establishment of a business arm for the NFA – a body that will operate independently from the NFA and on total business principles.This body, which will have its own chief executive officer and staff, would do business and raise funds for the game, using the capacity of and goodwill that exists for our game.CI: The Government is the biggest financial contributor to football, besides Fifa and the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC).Do you have any ideas on how to source more sponsorships for the domestic leagues, the national teams and the activities of the association in general? JM: Government is financially actually a bigger supporter of our game than Fifa and I appreciate that.I am also mindful of the big contribution being made by the NFC.One of the first areas that I will recommend strongly to be explored is the issue of the advertising space around the stadiums at NFA matches, which in terms of the contract with the NFC is allocated to the NFA.We must use that to raise more funds for the development of our game.Kit sponsorship is another area we are already working on.Soon we will conclude a deal with a reputable manufacturer.That will put us in a position to provide replicas to the Brave Warriors fans, which means an avenue for more resources to the game.I will also, for the first time in our history, offer sponsorship opportunities to corporate houses outside Windhoek.Cities such as Walvis Bay, Luederitz, Oshakati and Rundu have a lot of potential and can contribute, particularly at regional and club level.CI: How do you intend to position the NFA in attaining its credibility as the mother body of football and what type of individuals would you want to surround yourself with in achieving this? JM: Credibility has always been an important cornerstone of my life and will always continue to be.I will spend a lot of energy to restore the good name of the game and I know that I will, in the process, not make a lot of friends but I also know that it comes with the territory.I will introduce competent individuals to the game.They do not need to be former football people, particularly not those I intend to use in the association’s business arm.The idea is to open the association to new and progressive ideas and move away from the self-imposed limited access to new ideas the game finds itself in at the moment.CI: What are your biggest achievements as one of the most senior football administrators over the past years? JM: One: Qualification for Burkina Faso ’98.The reason why I think it stands out is very obvious.Qualification for the major international competitions is the reason why we are in business, or at least that is what the clients of football believe and we better deliver on that.Also not to be overlooked are the Brave Warriors’ two appearances in the Cosafa Castle Cup Finals and the women’s team stint at the finals in Lusaka recently.Two: Concluding the N$40 million deal with the NFC.Three: Appointing Ben Bamfuchile as national coach of Namibia.CI: What makes you stand out as the best candidate to become president of the Namibia Football Association? JM: I am not sure whether I am the best candidate, but I have always taken good care of myself to ensure that morally I will be the best candidate I can.I am highly experienced and football-wise well connected, both locally and internationally.My international connections are already paying off for Namibia.You will have noticed that in recent months we have benefited from CAF training opportunities in the form of courses for referees and coaches, while the first ever Fifa Symposium on Women Football in Africa will take place here in Windhoek from November 20 to 26.Namibia is also one of the first countries which will benefit from Fifa’s new project under the name ‘Goal Africa.’where Fifa will spend US$650 000 to provide artificial turfs to national associations in Africa.. CI: If elected as president, how do you see the future of Namibian football (domestic league and national teams) by 2010? JM: Domestic league: At least semi-professional clubs with youth football teams from under-10 all the way through to the under-20 age group attached to each senior club in the country.National teams: Qualification for Angola 2010 on the back of qualification for Ghana 2008 and making a serious bid for qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2010.Qualification for the 2009 African Youth Championship and a final appearance in the Cosafa under-20 Championship.Women’s football at different ages to be supported for them to compete in competitions.Please Note: Another candidate for the NFA presidency, Hendrik Dawids, will answer similar questions in an interview to be published on October 20.