Namibia appeals against soccer snub

TOP Namibian Government and sport officials are horrified by the decision taken by CAF not to include the country on the short-list of possible candidates to host the 2010 African Nations Cup.

They are alleging several irregularities with the manner the continental football body handled the process. The bids of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique were thrown out by the Confederation of African Football selection committee, which shortlisted Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (joint bid) as the possible candidates to host the continental showpiece.The acting president of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), John Muinjo, told journalists yesterday that the Namibian delegation was “extremely disappointed and disgruntled” by the outcome of selection.”Fair play did not prevail.We were pushed out of the race because of the status quo not being challenged,” Muinjo said.Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have lodged an appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and are demanding answers why their bids were rejected.”We want CAF to review the decision and we also asked them to give priority to countries that have never hosted the event,” Muinjo said.Nigeria has already hosted the event on more than two occasions.In the CAF statutes, there is no provision for when the football body should respond to appeals, but the appeal by the three countries demanded that it be as soon as possible.At the press briefing, which was led by Minister of Sport John Mutorwa and his permanent secretary Peingondjabi Shipoh, it also came to light that the decision to exclude the three southern African countries was made before the bid presentations were made.Mutorwa said he found it sinister why the president of CAF, Issa Hayatou, was not present at a single presentation.”His absence clearly tells you that there were irregularities in the whole process and what we need is to hear from them now is what our shortcomings were,” he said.The three countries were also baffled when only one representative from Libya presented his country’s bid, while other countries had more than 15 members in their teams.The absence of Cosafa president Ishmael Bhamjee and South Africa Football Association (SAFA) president Molefe Oliphant in Egypt also raised eyebrows among their southern African counterparts, who felt betrayed.Both Bhamjee and Oliphant serve on the CAF executive committee and their support of bids by southern African countries was crucial.Bhamjee claimed that he was not invited, while Oliphant could not be found, according to Muinjo.Muinjo charged that African football politics is “dirty” and said the absence of the two members could have contributed to Namibia’s loss.Shipoh said he wanted to assure the Namibian nation that there was nothing wrong with the performance of the Namibian bid delegation in Cairo, “but obviously there was something with the adjudication process”.Mutorwa said: “Even though Namibia was not shortlisted, our efforts were not in vain and remain worthwhile and beneficial to our country, and especially its football constituency, not necessarily in the short term, but more particularly in the medium and long terms.”He said Namibia would know better next time, because he believes that the rules were bent in favour of the other countries on points known only to the CAF selection committee.”We have lost the competition, but we have not lost the game,” he said.The Namibian delegation to Cairo included former President Sam Nujoma, Member of Parliament Hage Geingob, members of the business community, sponsors and local sport personalities.The presentation was made by Shipoh, who was the vice chairperson of the Bid Executive Committee.The bids of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique were thrown out by the Confederation of African Football selection committee, which shortlisted Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (joint bid) as the possible candidates to host the continental showpiece.The acting president of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), John Muinjo, told journalists yesterday that the Namibian delegation was “extremely disappointed and disgruntled” by the outcome of selection.”Fair play did not prevail.We were pushed out of the race because of the status quo not being challenged,” Muinjo said.Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have lodged an appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and are demanding answers why their bids were rejected.”We want CAF to review the decision and we also asked them to give priority to countries that have never hosted the event,” Muinjo said.Nigeria has already hosted the event on more than two occasions.In the CAF statutes, there is no provision for when the football body should respond to appeals, but the appeal by the three countries demanded that it be as soon as possible.At the press briefing, which was led by Minister of Sport John Mutorwa and his permanent secretary Peingondjabi Shipoh, it also came to light that the decision to exclude the three southern African countries was made before the bid presentations were made.Mutorwa said he found it sinister why the president of CAF, Issa Hayatou, was not present at a single presentation.”His absence clearly tells you that there were irregularities in the whole process and what we need is to hear from them now is what our shortcomings were,” he said.The three countries were also baffled when only one representative from Libya presented his country’s bid, while other countries had more than 15 members in their teams.The absence of Cosafa president Ishmael Bhamjee and South Africa Football Association (SAFA) president Molefe Oliphant in Egypt also raised eyebrows among their southern African counterparts, who felt betrayed.Both Bhamjee and Oliphant serve on the CAF executive committee and their support of bids by southern African countries was crucial.Bhamjee claimed that he was not invited, while Oliphant could not be found, according to Muinjo.Muinjo charged that African football politics is “dirty” and said the absence of the two members could have contributed to Namibia’s loss.Shipoh said he wanted to assure the Namibian nation that there was nothing wrong with the performance of the Namibian bid delegation in Cairo, “but obviously there was something with the adjudication process”.Mutorwa said: “Even though Namibia was not shortlisted, our efforts were not in vain and remain worthwhile and beneficial to our country, and especially its football constituency, not necessarily in the short term, but more particularly in the medium and long terms.”He said Namibia would know better next time, because he believes that the rules were bent in favour of the other countries on points known only to the CAF selection committee.”We have lost the competition, but we have not lost the game,” he said.The Namibian delegation to Cairo included former President Sam Nujoma, Member of Parliament Hage Geingob, members of the business community, sponsors and local sport personalities.The presentation was made by Shipoh, who was the vice chairperson of the Bid Executive Committee.