NICHOLAS Woody Jacobs says he quit his Brave Warriors assistant coaching job because of the strained relationship with interim head coach Bobby Samaria and the Namibia Football Association.
Summarily, he will swap elite level coaching in favour on youth football, ending 19 years as a top flight gaffer.
Jacobs, who also confirmed that he recently parted ways with Unam FC, has been at loggerheads with the NFA over wages and his omission from the national technical director shortlist.
Last month, he claimed that those on the shortlist did not meet the criteria, unlike him, and asked that the NFA executive committee review the process, a request that was ignored. The NFA outsourced the recruitment of top secretariat personnel to an independent human resources consultant.
In June, Jacobs lambasted the NFA over a purported disproportionate remuneration package for the Brave Warriors technical team.
The NFA shot down his request for a monthly salary on the basis that he is not a full-time employee. Samaria, who seconded his appointment as assistant, gets a monthly retainer’s package, while he does not.
“The relationship is not as it was before. We spoke about it at length. He [Samaria] and I can patch things up but I can’t say the same for the NFA,” Jacobs said to The Namibian Sport when contacted to expand on his resignation with immediate effect.
“There’s no bad blood, it’s just that they don’t trust me anymore and we don’t see eye to eye because I voiced my reservations about many things I was not happy with.
“I’m not afraid to talk when I feel things are not right. I know I’m not a saint but I can’t stay where I’m not wanted,” he explained.
The NFA accepted the resignation and tasked Samaria, whose caretaker role ends in March next year, with finding Jacob’s replacement.
“The NFA is grateful that he answered the call to serve the nation and appreciates his contribution to our football, in particular that he helped the Brave Warriors to qualify for the upcoming African Nations Championship in Cameroon,” said NFA acting secretary general Franco Cosmos.
Namibia have a potential friendly match against South Africa next month and back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mali in November to contend with.
“Bobby will bring a name to us and the executive will review it before an announcement is made. This must obviously be done as soon as possible so that the new person can help with preparations for upcoming matches,” Cosmos said.
SOUL SEARCHING
After a long introspection, Jacobs said he came to the conclusion that his efforts would be better served in his primary profession as a teacher.
He also opted out of his contract with Namibia Premier League side Unam due to non-payment to return to teaching.
“They [Unam] stopped paying my salary because there’s no football but the contract said otherwise, so I asked that we just terminate the agreement,” he said.
“I’m not lost to football. I will use my experience to help with the development of youth football. I believe I can add value there and help to bring up talent,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs rates his brief stay in the senior national setup as the highlight of his coaching career. His first premier league test was at Civics, where he had four stints and won the NPL title once. The much-travelled tactician also led African Stars to league and NFA Cup success, while he also coached Black Africa, Tigers, Ramblers, Orlando Pirates, Eleven Arrows, Young Ones and Okahandja United. He has taken charge of the men’s national under-17 and u23 sides.
“I’ve done a lot of soul searching and I am at a good place in my life. I’m at a stage where I want stability and I believe returning to teaching gives me that. “I wasn’t able to give my total commitment to that because of my involvement with football. I am looking forward to this new chapter but my love for football has not diminished. If someone say’s we need your help with this or that, I will make myself available,” said Jacobs.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
