Helge Schutz
22 April 2008
Windhoek — NAMIBIA'S participation in the soccer World Cup 2010 qualifiers is in doubt due to renovations to the Windhoek Independence Stadium that have not been carried out yet.
With the Sam Nujoma Stadium currently not available, since its grass turf is being replaced by an artificial turf, Namibia only has the Windhoek Independence Stadium available for its international matches, but a FIFA inspection team last year announced that it was not fit to host international matches.
The Namibia Football Association (NFA) and the Ministry of Sport are trying to find a solution to the problem, but a real possibility now exists that Namibia will have to play its home matches in a neighbouring country, or might have to withdraw from the World Cup qualifiers altogether.
"We have a crisis at the moment, to be honest with you.
Namibia faces two possibilities now.
Either we play our home matches in a foreign country or we withdraw totally from the qualifiers for the World Cup 2010.
At the moment we are working with FIFA and the Government of Namibia to see how we can save the situation, but at the moment I cannot promise much," said Barry Rukoro, the acting secretary general of the NFA.
"FIFA has communicated to us that if nothing has been done to the Independence Stadium, then Namibia will have to play its home matches in a third country, just like any other African country under the same conditions," he added.
Rukoro said if that was the case, Namibia might have to withdraw completely from the World Cup qualifiers.
"Unfortunately for us, we are not even sure if we can afford to play in a neighbouring country.
Apart from losing your home-ground advantage, it is also much more expensive to play in a foreign country.
You have to put people out there to make sure that the logistics are right - they must be there well before the match takes place, they must be there afterwards to clear up, they must come back to Namibia and go back again for the away match, so it's quite an expensive exercise."
'A NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT' "It is a national embarrassment.
Just the fact that Namibia has no facilities to host a FIFA international match is an international embarrassment," he added.
According to Rukoro, the Ministry of Sport had been informed about the findings in time to do something about them, but the Director of Sport, Dr Vetumbuavi Veii, disputes this.
"FIFA's report was never forwarded to us in writing. They (NFA) talked to us about it, but never put it in writing.
I asked for the report in writing and I only received it today," Dr Veii said on Friday. "There is no way we can abolish the stadium and rebuild it.
We simply don't have the funds.
We are negotiating with the Ministry of Works to see if they can make the necessary changes to the stadium," Dr Veii added.
Rukoro however remains adamant that the Ministry was informed timeously.
"Dr Veii is talking about the NFA letter.
We already sent the FIFA letter to the Ministry and the Municipality last year," he said.
Rukoro said he was confident that a solution to the crisis could be found.
"I'm an optimist and I will continue to believe until the very last.
At the moment we have spoken to Government to consider certain renovations which might make it possible for FIFA to reconsider their decision.
We are also talking to FIFA and are doing certain things to the stadium and will request them to send another inspector to come and re-inspect the stadium again.
We are confident that if Government comes to the party and does the things we have asked them to do, then FIFA will reconsider the situation," he said.
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