Namibia FA President backs Gianni Infantino, says proposed FIFA Funding would boost African football

Namibia FA President backs Gianni Infantino, says proposed FIFA Funding would boost African football

Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Robert Shimooshili has thrown his support behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino, insisting that Namibia will continue to stand with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) despite growing opposition to the FIFA leadership from other confederations.

Shimooshili’s comments come after FIFA withdrew plans for the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that was expected to allow private investors to acquire stakes in FIFA competitions.

The proposal attracted strong criticism from several football governing bodies, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, with concerns that private investment could place financial returns ahead of supporters, ticket affordability and the wider development of football.

CAF subsequently welcomed the withdrawal of the FFE but reaffirmed its support for Infantino.

Speaking on Wednesday, Shimooshili said Namibia would follow CAF’s position.

“If CAF rallies behind Infantino, then we also support the president of FIFA at the moment. We have confidence in him,” Shimooshili said.

He added that the proposed commercial model could have provided significant financial benefits to African football, with FIFA member associations potentially receiving up to USD 40 million over the 2027–2030 cycle.

According to Shimooshili, Namibia desperately needs additional resources to develop football infrastructure, regional offices, domestic competitions, futsal, women’s football and youth development.

“We need a lot of resources because there are a lot of projects we plan to do. We even struggle to meet our basic needs to run domestic leagues,” he said.

The NFA president also credited Infantino with supporting Namibia through various initiatives, including assistance following the death of former NFA secretary general Charles Siyauya.

He further revealed that Infantino had been involved in discussions surrounding a proposed Saudi Arabia-backed football development fund expected to benefit Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

“Who are we as Namibia not to support him?” Shimooshili said.

Namibia eyes return home for AFCON qualifiers

Shimooshili also provided an update on Namibia’s stadium situation ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The NFA has been forced to explore alternative venues because of the condition of its home stadiums. Botswana has reportedly confirmed that Namibia can use the national stadiums in Gaborone and Francistown.

However, Shimooshili remains hopeful that Namibia will soon be able to return home.

He said the City of Windhoek has informed the NFA that the renovation of Sam Nujoma Stadium is expected to be completed by November.

“If that happens, we can proudly host our home matches there,” he said.

The status of Windhoek’s Independence Stadium remains uncertain as the facility falls under the country’s sports ministry.

Meanwhile, Namibia is still awaiting government approval for a proposed joint bid with South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Namibian government has tasked Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare with leading consultations with relevant stakeholders before a final decision is made.

Namibia’s potential bid faces competition, with Ethiopia formally submitting its interest in hosting AFCON 2028. Morocco, Angola, Rwanda, Senegal, Mali and Guinea have also reportedly expressed interest in staging the continent’s premier international football tournament.