Stacey Naris to serve on FIFPro Africa Division Board

WINDHOEK, 11 APR  – Brave Gladiators defender and vice-captain, Stacey Naris has been selected to serve on the board of the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) Africa Division Board.
Her appointment was announced by the Namibia Football Players Union (Nafpu) here on Tuesday.
The Lüderitz-born footballer, who is currently in her last year of journalism studies at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), will serve on the board for four years.
She is the first woman to serve on the continental and international board, representing the interests of all women in football in Africa.
Her appointment to the African board of FIFPro automatically means she will also form part of the women’s committee of FIFPro International.
Naris, who has 41 caps for the senior national team and 18 caps for the junior national team, said being appointed to the board is one of her biggest achievements.
“Football has played a big role in my life and to be appointed to serve is an honour because I can’t imagine my life without football. I will do everything I can in my power to represent women footballers well,” she said.
The left-back, who worked on the Namibia Football Association (NFA) Women’s Desk as a volunteer from 2009 to 2012, added that joining Nafpu as a member and employee is the biggest gamble she took in her life, but one she will never regret.
“Part of the goals I would like to achieve while at the FIFPro Africa Division Board is to see Namibian women’s football start a professional women’s league which will really help improve our senior national women’s football team,” she said.
Nafpu Secretary-General Olsen Kahiriri called on Naris to be a good ambassador for Namibia and to represent the continent well at international level.
“It’s amazing to see that despite Stacey not being a board member, her hard work here with us paid off, but I am working on documents to see her sit on the Nafpu board. I know she is a hard worker, that is why I am confident that she will be a good representative for women’s football,” he said.

NAMPA