NWFD promotes African Motto to NPL

REHOBOTH, 17 SEP – The North West First Division (NWFD) on Sunday resolved to promote Oshakati’s African Motto Football Club to the Namibia Premier League (NPL) instead of overall winners Military School Okahandja.
Military School won the two-legged promotional play-off 1-0 against African Motto two weeks ago.
They were however not promoted as it would have meant there would be two Namibian Defence Force (NDF) teams, the other being Mighty Gunners, in the league, which would contravene the Namibian Football Association (NFA) rules.
According to the NFA statutes, no natural or legal person, including holding companies and subsidiaries, may exercise control over more than one club or group in the league.
NWFD vice chairperson Lawrence Kandundu on Sunday confirmed the decision and said they have informed Military School of their fate.
“We decided to promote African Motto as the rules are clear,” he said.
Kandundu added that all teams in the league have been informed of the NFA directive regarding team ownership.
“Club owners should familiarise themselves with the statutes of the football association and should not complain that they were not told while there are statutes in place that guide all of us,” he said.
The letter on African Motto’s promotion, issued by the NWFD on Sunday, states that another NDF team, Eleven Warriors will also be relegated to the Otjozondjupa Second Division as they cannot compete in the same league as Military School Okahandja.
It said Young Chiefs, who were relegated at the end of the NPL season, will be accepted into the NWFD instead.
NFA secretary-general Barry Rukoro earlier told this agency the association’s executive committee took a decision two years ago with regards to one organisation or person owning two teams in the same competition.
“Military School belongs to the NDF and there is no documentation stating otherwise. We cannot have two teams owned by the same organisation competing in the same competition,” he said.
Rukoro explained that the NFA executive committee two years ago decided that any of the NDF teams that win their respective first division or second division streams where there is already an NDF team, will not be promoted to the same league.
“We had two defence force teams playing in the NWFD and we informed the league administrators that at the end of the season, one of the teams would have to be relegated to the second division. The league administrators should now be brave enough to take a decision,” he said.
Rukoro stated in an earlier interview with this agency that Military School reaching the play-offs was just part of the league process which they need to complete. He said African Motto would have to be promoted to the NPL even if they fail to win the second leg of their play-offs.
African Motto will join already promoted Southern Stream First Division winners, Young Brazilians from Karasburg and North East First Division winners, Julinho Sporting from Rundu in the NPL. – NAMPA