Kahiriri slams league administration over player welfare
FOOTBALL
In an interview with SportWrap, sports and labour consultant Olsen Kahiriri criticized the Namibia Football Association’s (NFA) failure as league administrators to prioritize players' livelihoods, calling it a long-standing issue undermining Namibian football.
“When sponsors are sought, players are highlighted as the main priority, but once the money arrives, they are placed last. How can a player survive on N$2,000 a month? That’s an amount league administrators might spend in a week,” Kahiriri stated.
He spoke on the concerning trend of players only receiving salaries during the active league season, which lasts about five months. “Are players’ salaries supposed to go on leave when the league ends? How do you expect them to survive for the rest of the year?” he questioned.
Kahiriri further stressed that players lack proper structures to voice grievances, with labour inspectors being the cheapest yet insufficient option for resolving disputes.
“Clubs must take responsibility, but the public also needs to hold league administrators accountable. The league should return to club ownership because the current governing body (NFA) has failed to deliver on promises,” he added.
Players speaking out
Former Civics and Life Fighters player Jovane Narib has opened up about the financial struggles faced by players in Namibia's top-flight football league, pointing out delayed salaries, lack of adherence to contracts, and the mental strain of balancing football with work and studies.
"Salaries were always a problem. The delays in payments made it hard to stay fully committed to the sport," Narib said.
"It’s not always about the money, but clubs often cannot stick to contracts, and sometimes it is not just their fault—it’s also the league administrators."
Narib revealed that at Civics, salaries ranged between N$2,000 for the lowest-paid players and N$4,500 for the highest earners. At Life Fighters, the figures were even lower, with the highest-paid player earning around N$3,800 and the lowest receiving approximately N$1,500.
He added that balancing football with work or studies took a toll.
"I would leave home at 05:30 in the morning for work, finish late, and still rush to training. By the time I got home, it was already 20:00. Somewhere, your energy will run out—either at work or on the pitch," he explained.
Another player, who spoke under anonymity for fear of victimization, shed light on salary struggles.
He revealed that during his time at UNAM FC, he earned a salary of N$2,500 despite having represented the national team at both junior and senior levels. “It’s difficult to survive on such a salary; you can’t even afford decent rent,” he said.
While he acknowledged that payments at UNAM were punctual, including during off-season periods, he described overall earnings in the domestic league as "peanuts."
He added that national team’s payments were comparatively better, although delays have become frequent at senior team levels.
“In under-20 and under-23, payments were always on time, but with the senior team, delays are now common. You’re told payment will arrive in five days, but it takes weeks,” he stated.
When approached for comment, NFA spokesperson Isack Hamata stated that the questions required consultation. "These questions need consultation, my brother. You are making allegations we are not aware of. I will answer all your questions by 10:00 tomorrow [today]," he said.
“When sponsors are sought, players are highlighted as the main priority, but once the money arrives, they are placed last. How can a player survive on N$2,000 a month? That’s an amount league administrators might spend in a week,” Kahiriri stated.
He spoke on the concerning trend of players only receiving salaries during the active league season, which lasts about five months. “Are players’ salaries supposed to go on leave when the league ends? How do you expect them to survive for the rest of the year?” he questioned.
Kahiriri further stressed that players lack proper structures to voice grievances, with labour inspectors being the cheapest yet insufficient option for resolving disputes.
“Clubs must take responsibility, but the public also needs to hold league administrators accountable. The league should return to club ownership because the current governing body (NFA) has failed to deliver on promises,” he added.
Players speaking out
Former Civics and Life Fighters player Jovane Narib has opened up about the financial struggles faced by players in Namibia's top-flight football league, pointing out delayed salaries, lack of adherence to contracts, and the mental strain of balancing football with work and studies.
"Salaries were always a problem. The delays in payments made it hard to stay fully committed to the sport," Narib said.
"It’s not always about the money, but clubs often cannot stick to contracts, and sometimes it is not just their fault—it’s also the league administrators."
Narib revealed that at Civics, salaries ranged between N$2,000 for the lowest-paid players and N$4,500 for the highest earners. At Life Fighters, the figures were even lower, with the highest-paid player earning around N$3,800 and the lowest receiving approximately N$1,500.
He added that balancing football with work or studies took a toll.
"I would leave home at 05:30 in the morning for work, finish late, and still rush to training. By the time I got home, it was already 20:00. Somewhere, your energy will run out—either at work or on the pitch," he explained.
Another player, who spoke under anonymity for fear of victimization, shed light on salary struggles.
He revealed that during his time at UNAM FC, he earned a salary of N$2,500 despite having represented the national team at both junior and senior levels. “It’s difficult to survive on such a salary; you can’t even afford decent rent,” he said.
While he acknowledged that payments at UNAM were punctual, including during off-season periods, he described overall earnings in the domestic league as "peanuts."
He added that national team’s payments were comparatively better, although delays have become frequent at senior team levels.
“In under-20 and under-23, payments were always on time, but with the senior team, delays are now common. You’re told payment will arrive in five days, but it takes weeks,” he stated.
When approached for comment, NFA spokesperson Isack Hamata stated that the questions required consultation. "These questions need consultation, my brother. You are making allegations we are not aware of. I will answer all your questions by 10:00 tomorrow [today]," he said.
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