Rukoro named NFA chief

IT’S official – Barry Rukoro the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) has been confirmed into the position.

The two-year hunt for a CEO appears not to have yielded positive results, and Rukoro who has been acting in the position for the past two years, is now officially in the driving seat as of yesterday. His term will expire in July 2010 just after the African Nations Cup in Angola and and the Fifa World Cup in South Africa both hosted in the same year, but just before Rukoro’s term ends.Making the long awaited announcement at Soccer House yesterday, Beau Kauta, the NFA spokesperson was silent on reaction to the 2006 advertisement in which NFA invited candidates for the position.There was no word from the NFA spokesman about names of the prospective candidates and whether they were suitably qualified for the position.Yesterday’s announcement confirming Rukoro in the position effectively nullifies the recruitment process that had been kept under wraps for the past two years.The requirements set for a CEO for the multi-million dollar football enterprise were amongst others, a post tertiary professional qualification and at least 10 years working experience of which five must have been at senior management level.The new CEO would also be responsible for transforming football, as a product, into a business on a professional level.The person was also supposed to source funding and mobilise all football programmes, including retaining and increasing the current sponsorship.The ball for the recruitment process was set in motion while Rukoro was already acting in the position.It was not clear which of these criteria Rukoro met or did not.According to Kauta, the extensive acting stint of Rukoro in the position, justified his appointment, which, he said, was in line with the Labour Act.Sources indicate that the appointment of the CEO was deliberately delayed to create the leeway for Rukoro’s eventual appointment.He played a pivotal role in the election of the incumbent NFA president John Muinjo to office on October 29 2006.The usually talkative Rukoro, who has moved through the ranks at Soccer House in his 13 years there, said nothing after being named as the new head of Soccer House.There was no word from him as to how he intends to take the country’s football that has been in a free fall to new heights.There was not even an acceptance speech from the man, who has now firmly been placed in the driving seat.”It’s business as usual,” as one observer remarked.The precarious financial situation of the NFA, the below par showing of the national teams and what his tenure will focus on were left unanswered.Also, Kauta did not make clear what qualifications Rukoro holds to be appointed as the new chief of the football governing body, and his credentials were not availed.Not even Rukoro’s age could be confirmed.His term will expire in July 2010 just after the African Nations Cup in Angola and and the Fifa World Cup in South Africa both hosted in the same year, but just before Rukoro’s term ends. Making the long awaited announcement at Soccer House yesterday, Beau Kauta, the NFA spokesperson was silent on reaction to the 2006 advertisement in which NFA invited candidates for the position.There was no word from the NFA spokesman about names of the prospective candidates and whether they were suitably qualified for the position.Yesterday’s announcement confirming Rukoro in the position effectively nullifies the recruitment process that had been kept under wraps for the past two years.The requirements set for a CEO for the multi-million dollar football enterprise were amongst others, a post tertiary professional qualification and at least 10 years working experience of which five must have been at senior management level.The new CEO would also be responsible for transforming football, as a product, into a business on a professional level.The person was also supposed to source funding and mobilise all football programmes, including retaining and increasing the current sponsorship.The ball for the recruitment process was set in motion while Rukoro was already acting in the position.It was not clear which of these criteria Rukoro met or did not.According to Kauta, the extensive acting stint of Rukoro in the position, justified his appointment, which, he said, was in line with the Labour Act.Sources indicate that the appointment of the CEO was deliberately delayed to create the leeway for Rukoro’s eventual appointment.He played a pivotal role in the election of the incumbent NFA president John Muinjo to office on October 29 2006.The usually talkative Rukoro, who has moved through the ranks at Soccer House in his 13 years there, said nothing after being named as the new head of Soccer House.There was no word from him as to how he intends to take the country’s football that has been in a free fall to new heights.There was not even an acceptance speech from the man, who has now firmly been placed in the driving seat.”It’s business as usual,” as one observer remarked.The precarious financial situation of the NFA, the below par showing of the national teams and what his tenure will focus on were left unanswered.Also, Kauta did not make clear what qualifications Rukoro holds to be appointed as the new chief of the football governing body, and his credentials were not availed.Not even Rukoro’s age could be confirmed.