Tigers Football Club chairperson, Nelson Akwenye, has called for a reevaluation of the scheduling of doubleheaders in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership League to prevent insufficient rest and long-distance travel between matches played on Saturdays and Sundays.
Akwenye’s concerns follows a car accident involving members of Tigers FC’s technical staff and players on the B1 road between Okahandja and Otjiwarongo.
The accident occurred around 01h30 as they were returning to Windhoek.
Akwenye in an interview with Nampa on Monday called on the league to look into the matter as long-distance travel immediately after matches does not allow teams enough time to rest, especially as most teams that are paired are from different towns.
“We had a game in Otjiwarongo on Saturday and immediately after the game, we travelled to Oshakati which is a lot of driving,” he said.
After their Sunday game, they had to drive back immediately as some players have commitments in their permanent employment. It also would have been costly to spend the night in paid accommodation.
He also suggested that monthly grants be increased to provide the teams with adequate rest time instead of having to travel immediately.
“Last week one of the team’s buses hit a kudu while they were driving at night but fortunately, no one was injured,” he said.
Akwenye also provided an update on the accident victims, saying everyone involved in the accident was in a stable condition, apart from Leyton Goliath who sustained head injuries and was airlifted to Windhoek after being stabilised.
Players Goliath, Tangeni Shipahu and Shane van Wyk, and Julia Alweendo (team medic), Heikke Amashisha (team manager), Tiro Thlabanello (goalkeeper coach), and Protash Kabwe (coach) were travelling in the double cab that overturned.
Besides Goliath, who was airlifted, all others involved in the accident received medical care in Otjiwarongo and Okahandja and will be travelling back to Windhoek.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency