Quo vadis BONA 2027?

IT has been almost seven months now since both Namibia and Botswana announced their intentions to jointly bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), which the two countries said will be hosted on a 40/60 ratio as far as financial contributions and the allocation of facilities is concerned.

It was agreed that Namibia will cater for 40% of all related hosting costs and needed facilities, while Botswana will take care of the remaining 60% share.

A few weeks after that announcement was made, working committees between the two countries were installed to get the groundwork going.

The committees were expected to conduct feasibility studies on the financial prudency of jointly hosting such a major competition, to audit the available stadiums and all other related facilities, as well as present budgets to their respective ministries or governments.

The media was also told that ambassadors will be appointed to, amongst others, assist with raising awareness around the bid, communicate the positive social change and legacy the 2027 Afcon will leave in both Botswana and Namibia, and to share and promote Afcon values throughout the continent.

But alas, there has been zero delivery on the above promises and expectations, nor has there been any sort of communication from the local line ministry on the way forward with the joint 2027 Afcon bid. Namibia and Botswana’s joint bid is known as BONA 2027.

Namibia is currently grappling with downgraded stadiums (Independence and Sam Nujoma), which both Fifa and Caf declared unfit to host international matches due to their hazardous state.

That technically means Namibia, as we speak, has no stadium available to include in their 2027 Afcon bid package.

Although finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi announced during this year’s tabling of the national budget that government would allocate N$50 million towards the upgrading and renovation of Independence Stadium, nothing has happened to that effect.

It is rather disappointing that a hype was created around BONA 2027 by the two governments and their heads of state, and a few months down the line, nothing seems to be happening in both countries.

Here in Namibia, our sport ministry has not even called one press conference where details and progress on the joint bid was being shared.

Current sports director Jo-Ann Manuel was appointed as the spokesperson for Namibia on the joint bid, and even she is nowhere to be seen nor has she shared a single detail around the progress or groundwork done so far on the bid.

Does Manuel understand her role and function as spokesperson for Namibia on the joint bid? If so, then she is spectacularly failing the nation and bidding partners Botswana in this highly important endeavour.

Are we as a country really ready to bid for the co-hosting of the 2027 Afcon? Namibians are beginning to doubt if we really are.

And if government and the sport ministry continue at this disconcerting pace, unfortunately Namibia is bound to miss out on a golden opportunity to co-host the 36th edition of the continental mega football showpiece in 2027.

But even in Botswana, the media and the general public share similar frustrations, as recently reported by that country’s Sunday Standard newspaper. Quo Vadis the 2027 Afcon?