The Namibian Newspaper Cup unbelievable: Khumalo

THE 2010 The Namibian Newspaper Cup held over the Easter weekend received a thumbs-up from South African football legend Doctor Khumalo, who attended the whole tournament from start to finish.

Khumalo described the tournament organisation, the atmosphere and the football as ‘unbelievable’.
“When I arrived for the tournament, I did not know what to expect but now I can tell you that it was unbelievable. The support was incredible. I was obviously entertained by the youngsters who want to polish up their soccer career by taking part in the Newspaper Cup.”

The Editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, echoed Khumalo’s sentiments, adding that the tournament had earned its place in Namibian football folklore and had grown in popularity over the years.
“The Namibian Newspaper Cup has grown from strength to strength over the ten years of its existence,” said Lister.

“It is obvious that now the regional tournament has found a place in the hearts and minds of our people, judging from the incredible turnout at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura over the weekend. It is equally obvious that the tournament is here to stay!”
Khumalo said the tournament is of the kind that unearths talent. “We need more of these competitions for young players in the region. It is not enough that they are identified. They need to develop further and they can only do that if they have opportunities like this more often,” said Khumalo.

A number of the players who thrilled the masses throughout the four days also caught Khumalo’s attention. He believes they were head and shoulders above the rest and deserve to be playing at a higher level and plans to recommend them to his club Kaizer Chiefs.
“That number 13 (Petrus Shitembi of Kavango) is unbelievable. But Sydney (Uri-khob) and that number 10 (Sem Iipinge) impressed me also. Then there is the captain from Oshana (Iimbondi Absalom), and the number nine for Omusati (Anombe Linekela) are also very good. I think the right back (Brenwill Mentoor) for Khomas did very well but he did not get much credit.”

“I can tell you right now that these boys can play in any PSL (South African Premier Soccer League) team. I would like them to come down for a week and have an assessment session. But because of the World Cup our (PSL) league is ending very soon. I will definitely talk to the development and senior team of Kaizer Chiefs about these boys.”
Khumalo said it was unfortunate that there was very little involvement in domestic football by the business community. He emphasised that football in Namibia needed more funding in order to grow.

“I spoke to (NFA Secretary General) Barry (Rukoro) and we have the same ideas in terms of developing football. But there is no funding for these projects. The businesses need to invest so that football can grow. The Namibian Cup is a very good example for other businesses to follow.”
In its first year in 2001 the tournament cost The Namibian N$120 000 and it has since grown to a whopping N$1,4 million this year. Lister said it was money well spent judging by the football talent that was out there just waiting to be discovered as well as the huge public support they receive.

The tournament also has spin-offs in the communities in which it is held, so it has become a not-to-be-missed event on the sporting calendar.
“We thank the NFA for partnering with us in this event and in particular I thank our staff, many of whom sacrifice their Easter weekend every year to make this a special event for all those who attend. I’m proud of them. Where many companies would outsource such a big tournament, we do it ourselves, and this makes all the difference.”
Next year the tournament will once again be on the move and potential host towns are encouraged to stage their bids early.

“I would also encourage all the regions to remember that the Newspaper Cup happens every year over the Easter weekend and that they should prepare well in advance to get their teams ready,” Lister said.

Credit: www.namibian.com.na