Local football analyst Sonny Maharero has criticised the state of Namibian football, describing the current situation as "dire" and calling for urgent structural reform, better planning and unity among clubs and the national football leadership.
Speaking on The Sports Chat on Desert FM recently, Maharero expressed disappointment over the confusion surrounding the start of the 2025/26 Debmarine Namibia Premiership, which is expected to kick off on 24 October.
He noted that many clubs remain unprepared due to financial constraints and a lack of communication from the Namibia Football Association (NFA).
"Some clubs haven't even started their pre-season. Others don't know how much they'll receive from the association or if they'll have sponsors at all," Maharero said.
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According to him, the build-up to a new football season should generate excitement and anticipation, something he says is missing this year due to poor planning and late communication.
"When I was a player, we didn't have money in the league, but we had passion," he said. "Today, there's money everywhere, yet there's no excitement about the start of the league. The sequence of events is wrong, the league should be launched, fixtures released, and clubs given at least six weeks for proper pre-season."
Maharero emphasised that football depends on planning and structure - not last minute decisions.
"Sponsors and spectators need to plan too," he said. "If fixtures come out late, how do fans or teams prepare? Poor planning leads to poor football."
The analyst also questioned the reported plan for teams to play in last season's kits still branded with the Debmarine Namibia logo despite the sponsorship reportedly ending.
"It's laughable," Maharero said. "If a sponsor's contract has expired, how can teams still play in jerseys carrying their branding? It shows a lack of respect for contracts and professionalism."
He warned that allowing teams to play in outdated kits could bring reputational risks to former sponsors.
"If something bad happens during a match and the old sponsor's logo is visible, it reflects badly on them," he said, urging the NFA to instruct clubs to use unmarked kits instead.
Maharero compared football's struggles with the success of Cricket Namibia, which boasts more than 40 corporate sponsors. He praised the cricket body's consistency and long-term planning but cautioned that football must first rebuild its foundation.
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"Cricket Namibia is where it is because of good governance and a clear vision," he said. "In football, we must stop rushing to be 'professional'. Let's start small, fix our house and build gradually. The blueprint for football already exists, we just need to go back to it."
He cited the early 2000s as a model era when Namibia had strong youth structures and a clear player pathway.
"When I was in school, 17-year-olds were already playing in the Premier League. Today, that's unheard of," Maharero noted. "We need to revive school football and empower the Namibia School Sport Union to feed into the elite league."
Reflecting on years of instability, including multiple normalisation committees and the impact of Covid-19, Maharero said poor communication and division remain the biggest obstacles to progress.
"The NFA, clubs and supporters aren't talking to each other," he said. "That's why football is suffering. We have the talent - we just need the right people and proper leadership."
Maharero concluded with a call for patience and hope.
"Football can get back to normal if we go back to basics and respect the game's structure," he said. "Let's be hopeful that eventually things will be okay."
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