THE Namibia Football Association (NFA) will spend just over N$170 000 on prize money for the various award winners when it hosts its annual prize-giving event in Windhoek tonight.
The biggest chunk of the money of N$75 000 which comes from the coffers of the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC), will go to the various categories in the Namibia Premier League (NPL). This time the Player of the Season will walk away with a cheque of N$15 000, the highest of all the awards, while six other category winners in the NPL will each receive N$10 000.The other six are young player, top goal scorer, manager, coach, team and referee of the season.At this stage, the coach and the team manager awards of the season will go towards Orlando Pirates who won the league, while the team will also be presented with the cheque of N$500 000 on the night.Pirates’ team manager is Mario Carreira, while Brian Isaacs, who is also the Brave Warriors assistant coach, is the mentor for the Buccaneers.The top goal scorer in the NPL is Brave Warriors and Ramblers striker Pinehas Jacob who is already assured of his N$10 000.A total budget of N$27 300 has been allocated to the Second Division winners, as there will be five Players of the Season according to the 13 regions and each will get N$500.The First Division has a total of N$12 000 and the Player of the Season will receive N$2 000.There will be two Players of the Season in the First Division as it represents the Northern and Southern Streams, that will also include top goal scorers, team managers, coaches, teams and referees.Each of them will get N$1 000.This year, the organisers have also included women’s football categories and the Women Football Player of the Season will go home with a cheque of N$1 000.Other categories for women include the top goal scorer, coach, referee and team of the season.Each of these will get N$500.The other big awards are the NFA Administrator of the Year award, which carries a prize of N$10 000, and the NFA Special Contribution award, with a prize of N$5 000.There is also an NFA International award which is given to the best performing foreign-based player and is worth N$5 000, while the League of the Season also gets N$5 000.The possible contenders for the international award include Hartman Toromba, Meraai Swartbooi, Oliver Risser and Collin Benjamin.Strangely, the authorities have dropped the Supporter of the Season award, which has been won by Robbie Savage for several years.This year, Orlando Pirates chief fan Makalan Katzao could have been the winner for his undying support to both his team and the national side.The organisers have also scrapped awards for media personalities, largely because most reporters are viewed as reporting negatively about the NFA.This time the Player of the Season will walk away with a cheque of N$15 000, the highest of all the awards, while six other category winners in the NPL will each receive N$10 000.The other six are young player, top goal scorer, manager, coach, team and referee of the season.At this stage, the coach and the team manager awards of the season will go towards Orlando Pirates who won the league, while the team will also be presented with the cheque of N$500 000 on the night.Pirates’ team manager is Mario Carreira, while Brian Isaacs, who is also the Brave Warriors assistant coach, is the mentor for the Buccaneers.The top goal scorer in the NPL is Brave Warriors and Ramblers striker Pinehas Jacob who is already assured of his N$10 000.A total budget of N$27 300 has been allocated to the Second Division winners, as there will be five Players of the Season according to the 13 regions and each will get N$500.The First Division has a total of N$12 000 and the Player of the Season will receive N$2 000.There will be two Players of the Season in the First Division as it represents the Northern and Southern Streams, that will also include top goal scorers, team managers, coaches, teams and referees.Each of them will get N$1 000.This year, the organisers have also included women’s football categories and the Women Football Player of the Season will go home with a cheque of N$1 000.Other categories for women include the top goal scorer, coach, referee and team of the season.Each of these will get N$500.The other big awards are the NFA Administrator of the Year award, which carries a prize of N$10 000, and the NFA Special Contribution award, with a prize of N$5 000.There is also an NFA International award which is given to the best performing foreign-based player and is worth N$5 000, while the League of the Season also gets N$5 000.The possible contenders for the international award include Hartman Toromba, Meraai Swartbooi, Oliver Risser and Collin Benjamin.Strangely, the authorities have dropped the Supporter of the Season award, which has been won by Robbie Savage for several years.This year, Orlando Pirates chief fan Makalan Katzao could have been the winner for his undying support to both his team and the national side.The organisers have also scrapped awards for media personalities, largely because most reporters are viewed as reporting negatively about the NFA.
