Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Namibia Football Association (NFA) says the NFA will not reveal how much it will pay Botswana to host Namibia’s international home matches.
When approached by the Windhoek Observer, NFA interim secretary general Cassius Moetie said the payment details are protected by confidentiality agreements.
On Monday, during a joint announcement with Deputy Minister of Sport Dino Ballotti, NFA confirmed that the Brave Warriors will play their home games at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Botswana.
Namibia remains banned from using its stadiums, which failed to meet international standards.
Moetie noted that the cost of playing home matches in South Africa in the past has already been made public, with reports indicating the NFA paid around N$1.4 million per match.
However, he said payments to Botswana cannot be shared.
“I cannot divulge the content of an agreement with any third party. We want to focus on the current and future of the Brave Warriors’ home games, which we want to win and secure Namibia’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” he said.
Namibia has been hosting home games in South Africa since 2022 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned local stadiums due to poor conditions.
Moetie said the decision to shift home fixtures to Botswana was based on cost and logistics.
He said Namibia will host Malawi and São Tomé in World Cup qualifiers scheduled for September 2025.
He added that under FIFA regulations, the home country must cover all logistical arrangements for visiting teams, including accommodation, meals, training fields, ground transport, and security.
“Having assessed the costs to play home games in South Africa and moving the Brave Warriors’ home games’ venue for our 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification to Botswana, we found [it] not only inexpensive, but closer to home, safe for road transport and [there is] the enormous prospect to mobilise a minimum of 10 buses to transport Brave Warriors supporters to Francistown to stand firm behind our team to collect maximum points,” Moetie said.
He stressed that the NFA cannot reveal contract values agreed with service providers, whether past or present.
“What is important to appreciate is that the NFA, the Namibian football lovers in the diaspora, congratulated the NFA Executive Council, the Management Team, and staff for bringing our flagship football product, the Brave Warriors, closer to home,” he said.
