As the year comes to an end, the Namibia Football Association reflects on the year that was, describing it as more successful off the field than on the field.
The Namibia Football Association's Director of Marketing and Sales, Isack Hamata, describes 2025 as a year marked by both challenges and encouraging developments. Hamata singled out the failure to qualify for major tournaments for both senior national teams as the biggest disappointment of the year, while hosting the Under-17 Women's COSAFA Championships stood out as the highest achievement on the field.
"Looking at our performance on the pitch, it has been a mixture of results. The biggest disappointment was certainly the failure of both our senior national teams to qualify for major continental tournaments. However, hosting the Under-17 Women's COSAFA Championships successfully on home soil was a significant highlight and showed the potential we have in our youth structures" Isack Hamata said.
Despite the struggles on the field, the NFA recently received a boost after its financial statements were approved by the Executive Council. This administrative milestone signals a move toward greater transparency and stability within the association's structures.
"Off the field, we have made great strides in terms of governance. Having our financial statements approved by the Executive Council is a major step forward for the NFA. it builds trust with our stakeholders and ensures that we are moving toward a more professional and transparent era of football administration in Namibia" Isack Hamata said.
Looking ahead to 2026, Hamata concludes that he expects a more aggressive approach on the field to ensure improved performances for the national teams as well as the league. The Association now shifts its focus to translating off-field progress into stronger results on the pitch in the year ahead.
"As we head into 2026, our priority is to be more aggressive and intentional with our on-field preparations. We want to see improved performances across all national teams and ensure our domestic leagues are competitive and thriving. The goal is to match our administrative progress with the results that the fans expect to see on the pitch" Isack Hamata said.