By: Andrew Kathindi
The Namibian Football Association (NFA) president Ranga Haikali says that he remains president of the association despite the current standoff with the executive committee.
Haikali says his suspension by the NFA was lifted following a zoom meeting with Fifa officials who indicated that the NFA needed to get their affairs in order or risk another suspension.
“All 11 exco members were in the zoom meeting where they were told in no uncertain terms, that I’m still the president. Fifa made it clear that I am still the president. They said the decision by an illegal meeting to suspend me is null and void,” Haikali told The Villager.
Haikali was suspended in August by NFA Vice President Isak Fredricks for allegedly using the association to seal contracts for companies he has interest in.
One of these includes the IT company, PC Centre, while the other was connected to the fumigation at the NFA offices.
He said that the NFA had received a quotation for N$63 000 from a company owned by one of the staff members, but he brought Africa Personal Services (APS) who did the job for N$3 000.
Haikali is also accused of attempting to get an overdraft through NFA from FNB where is also a director without consulting the exco.
Haikali says he has now scheduled an exco meeting this weekend to try and resolve some of the infighting to try and salvage something of the relationship as Fifa has allegedly indicated that Namibia risks being suspended again.
NFA’s previous leadership was scraped and the country was suspended by Fifa in January 2019 before a normalisation committee was set up to steer the NFA back into a cohesive structure.
“Fifa made it clear, they are tired, especially only a year after the institution of the normalisation committee, for Namibia to go into this. The country will risk being suspended again and this time Fifa said it will be clear.
“And Fifa said it is very important before they take a harsh step, for us to come together and unify. I have called for a special meeting with the exco to try and unify and it is coming on the 1st and 2nd October.
“Immediately after the meeting with Fifa where it was said we will call for a meeting of unity, the first vice-President wrote a letter and copied Fifa telling everyone that I am still suspended and I can’t call for this meeting,” Haikali said.
He added that the stakeholders and players are suffering and sponsors don’t want to be involved in the infighting that has tarnished the image of the football association.
According to Haikali, NFA secretary general, Franco Cosmos has been trying to manipulate and divide the exco.
Addressing a press conference last week in Windhoek, Cosmos said that Fifa does not have the mandate to lift Haikali’s suspension.
Cosmos, when approached for comment said that he was not aware of the meeting and that he had not been invited, but directed all further queries to Fredricks.
Fredricks told The Villager that the NFA does not recognise Haikali’s meeting scheduled between 1-2 October to try and resolve the squabbles and that the exco will not be attending.
He added that reconciliation would be very difficult as things have escalated to become personal.
“It will be difficult. We have our differences but it’s just for the sake of football that I tried to reach out to him. But it’s stale. His leadership style is worrisome.
“He’s a very difficult person. He’s not open. He has no respect for governance. It’s a pity, but we have to address this matter.”
