Eight years on, U17 Cosafa champs point out neglect

Members of the forgotten Namibia football team that won the 2016 Cosafa under-17 championship have engaged the ministry of sport for a fair compensation for their heroics, which has not been repeated by any team since then.

It has been eight years since they won the tournament for Namibia, but team members have now petitioned the ministry, pointing out that no reward has come through ever since that tournament.

Some of the players since been forced to hang up their boots in order to look for full-time jobs due to make ends meet.

A petition signed by most of the players was handed in to the ministry yesterday, received by the acting executive director Irvin Ndjavera.

In their letter addressed to sports minister Agnes Tjongararo and executive director Erastus Haitengela, the team members relay their sense of being treated in a neglectful manner, while noticing the discrepancy with compensation dished out to other similar achieving sports teams.

“It is disheartening to witness such blatant disregard for our accomplishments. Our only recognition was a meager offering of brotchens and juice by the Namibian Sports Commission, upon our return.

“It is worth mentioning that several members of our team made significant sacrifices by choosing to represent our country even amidst crucial end-of-year exams. For national pride and honour, they did not receive any form of compensation or acknowledgment.

“Therefore, we humbly request your intervention in ensuring that we receive what is rightfully due to us.”



Families to support

Eldery Morgan, who was the captain of the famous youth team of 2016, says they were promised rewards after the tournament.

“We played and won the Cosafa title in 2016 and we were promised certain things like rewards and they never came through.

“They did not even give us transport to go back to our homes when we came back and we feel that the treatment was unfair and disappointing.

“They told us to wait and to open bank accounts, but eight years on there has been nothing. Some of us have families to support now,” Morgan said.

The 2016 team won the U17 Cosafa final in Mauritius, by defeating South Africa on penalties (3-1). According to the group, neither the player squad of twenty, nor the technical team under head coach Timo Tjongarero received compensation since then.

Notable members of the player squad include Lubeni Haukongo, who represented the Brave Warriors at the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in January and who plays for Cape Town Spurs.

Junior Petrus is another who advanced to senior national level, representing a club in Kosovo before returning to play for Blue Waters most recently.

Besides Petrus, more players are today still active at Debmarine premiership level, such as Stanley Ndjavera (Ongos), Vaino Uugwanga and Rivaldo Laksman (Eeshoke Chula Chula), Mbakondja Tjahikika (African Stars), Giovanni Kaninab (Okahandja United), Jované Narib (Life Fighters) and Denzil Kaka Narib (Civics).

The rest of the player group concerned are Stevano Shawn Dundee, Pistie Jefta Amaeb, Helmut Namaseb, Godwin Awaseb, Johannes Hollombach, Phillipus Josef, Alex Kaongelwa, Eldery Morgan, Immanuel Buti Isaya, Megameno Kapuku and Matias Shipanga.

The ministry yesterday informed the players that they will write letters to the senior officials to enquire on the matter.