N$700 000 for NFA exco to Afcon

It will cost the government between N$600 000 and N$700 000 to take six of the recently installed executive council members of the Namibia Football Association to accompany the Brave Warriors to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast. 

This cost is in addition to the N$7,4 million allocated to the Brave Warriors for their participation in the international showpiece. 

Executive director of the ministry of sport, youth and national service, Erastus Haitengela told The Namibian that these funds will be used from the additional N$6 million the NFA asked on top of an initial N$7,4 million. 

“It is also good for the new exco to be exposed. We wish we could take the secretary general with but he will be tied up with tasks here,” Haitengela said. 

Speaking to The Namibian, NFA president Robert Shimooshili said that his costs will be covered by Fifa and not the government.

“Fifa will pay for me and the ministry (of sport) will pay for the other five. I do not know how much it will cost though. I think it’s a package that should also include media houses that are going,” he said.

The other five exco members include vice president Jakobus Markus, Rafael Kamuyoyo, Michael Situde, Precious Chaka and Joseph Hailombe.

Shimooshili further dispelled more rumours that Brave Warriors coach Collin Benjamin’s job is on the line at the continental showpiece. 

“That is not true. Collin will not be dismissed. That rumour is unfounded and there was never a discussion regarding the dismissal of coach Collin,” he added. 

This comes on the backdrop of murmurs in football circles that there were plans to replace Collin Benjamin.

“Whoever is advocating that has his own agenda which we don’t know and we don’t want to entertain. We urge that person to refrain from these type of rumours,” Shimooshili reiterated.

The Brave Warriors will open their Afcon campaign against Tunisia next Tuesday before facing South Africa and Mali to finish off their Group E matches.

Namibia have never made it to the knockout stages of the competition and according to Shimooshili there is no mandate but they hope to progress from Group E.