Okahandja United joins big guns in local premier league
NFA – The Namibia Football Association (NFA) this week cleared the promotional debacle of the North West First Division side to the Namibia Premier League (NPL) with Military School Okahandja FC promoted after they changed to Okahandja United FC.
Addressing a fully packed media conference, NFA Secretary General, Barry Rukoro pointed out various facts pertaining to the status of and promotion of the team.
The Military School Okahandja FC was a team under the control and ownership of Okahandja Military School, which is itself under the Namibian Defense Force like Mighty Gunners FC at the time that the club won its respective league (Northwest First Division).
“The Military School Okahandja FC won the Northwest First Division League with the consequence that the club will under normal circumstances be promoted to the Namibia Premier League, but it could not be promoted because the Namibian Defence Force already have a team that competes in the Namibia Premier League in Mighty Gunners FC,” he said.
Rukoro said Article 18(3) of the NFA Statutes provides that: “In any case, no natural or legal person (including holding companies and subsidiaries) shall exercise control over more than one Club or group whenever the integrity of any match or competition could be jeopardized.”
Article 20 (2) of the FIFA Statutes similarly prohibits ownership of two or more clubs by the same entity.
According to Rukoro because of the above prohibition, the Military School Okahandja, which is part of the Namibia Defense Force as the owner of Military School Okahandja FC, transferred ownership of the Military School Okahandja FC to the Okahandja community under the new ownership and name Okahandja United F.C.
“Consequently, the Military School Okahandja FC is now owned by a different legal persona distinct and independent from the Military School Okahandja and the Namibian Defense Force. Therefore, the mischief (jeopardizing the integrity of a match or competition where two teams are owned by the same entity) that the legislator intended to prevent is evaded by the change of ownership of the Military School Okahandja FC,” he added.
Rukoro said as a result, thereof the NFA do not see the reason why the Military School Okahandja FC under the new ownership of the Okahandja community as Okahandja United should not be promoted and compete in the Namibia Premier League.
“For the reasons advanced herein above, the Namibia Football Association has decided to allow and endorse the promotion of the Military School Okahandja FC under new ownership and name to the Namibian Premier League,” he added.
Meanwhile other teams that were promoted to the 2018/2019 Namibia Premier League are: Young Brazilians from Karasburg and Julinho from Rundu.
