Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Confederation of African Football (CAF) safety and security official Tovey Hoëbeb says they will soon begin assessing football stadiums countrywide.
The findings will be submitted to the continental football body for consideration, Hoëbeb said in an interview with Desert Radio 95,3 FM recently.
Since the Namibian government has decided to bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, alongside neighbouring Botswana, it is imperative to have a fact-finding report on the safety and security of the stadiums.
Hoëbeb submitted a report on the state of the Sam Nujoma Stadium late last year, finding that the 17-year-old facility has extensive structural defects and is unfit to host international matches.
Namibia and Botswana are competing against 15 other African countries for the hosting rights, with the general feeling being that CAF will lean towards nations that have never staged the continental football spectacle before.
During his visit to Namibia recently, Botswana sport minister Tumiso Rakgare called on the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) to support ‘Bona 2027′.
“We will roll out the inspection and submit the report to CAF for possible recommendation, who in turn will study the report and advise accordingly,” said Hoëbeb.
“We will not just submit a written report but also the image report that will be made up of images (photos) taken.”
He added that the inspection will not just be conducted because of the national senior football teams, who now play their international home matches in South Africa, but to ensure that the revived domestic football league will be played at Africa Women Football Championship 2014 -standard stadiums.
Last week, CAF president Patrice Motsepe said it will aid Namibia’s hosting ambitions for the country to have its domestic football leagues up and running again.
“Our domestic league must be seen as a product, that has to be played at proper infrastructure to attract potential sponsors,” Hoëbeb said.
He called on both the regional and local authorities to prioritise sport infrastructure development, which will positively impact their respective regions’ fortunes.
“Currently, we are neglecting the aspect of proper sport facilities. It is something that the government must relook into. And, I am appealing to the government to invest more in sport infrastructure,” he said.
The CAF safety and security division coordinates with all stakeholders, such as the national police, security companies, emergency services, the fire brigade and the NDF when hosting international matches.
It is especially important to have a disaster management component to assess the risk factors around games.
With the domestic football leagues set to be up and running by August or September, Hoëbeb said it’s important to have club licensing, and safety and security officials who will work hand in hand with the national CAF safety and security committee.
He noted that the exercise must not be confined to premier league clubs, but all clubs from the different divisions, as it’s vital to adopt modern administrative practices across the board “and not have teams administered from car boots.”
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