WINDHOEK: Brave Warriors assistant coach Ronny Kanalelo has resigned from his position with the senior national football team, a role he held since 2018.

Kanalelo previously served as assistant coach to former Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti from 2013 until the 2019 African Nations Cup, which was held in Egypt.

During his time as assistant coach, Kanalelo achieved success by winning the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup and qualifying for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the African Nations Cup three times.

In his resignation letter addressed to the president of the Namibia Football Association (NFA), Robert Shimooshili dated 06 July 2024, Kanalelo said he was stepping down from his position as assistant coach of the Brave Warriors after the 2024 COSAFA Cup.

‘I know I need not formally resign, especially because I wasn’t hired by the NFA for this specific assignment as assistant coach as I was as requested and hired by the Head Coach Collin Benjamin,’ reads th
e letter.

Kanalelo added that he deemed it fit to address the resignation letter to the NFA president due to his apparent lack of support.

‘I feel the need to inform you that, despite your assumptions, based on your utterances in the media, I did not force myself into any of the positions I served for the national team. They were all based on merit and on my qualifications, contribution, and my willingness to serve this country. To be more explicit, I’m more than qualified for the position I held, and I have contributed to the development of the team over the years,’ Kanalelo said in his letter.

Shimooshili in a recent article published by a local newspaper stated that while he does not intend to dismantle the team entirely, he believes it is time for those who have served for extended periods, to move on. This call for change extends across all levels, including both the male and female national teams. The president emphasised the need for a rotation of personnel to provide opportunities to a broader rang
e of Namibians.

Meanwhile, in his resignation letter, Kanalelo rejected the notion that he has overstayed his time with the team and was unfairly disadvantaged.

‘With your continued utterances in the media, I deem it necessary to rather step down. Please take note I’m not threatened by your utterances, but rather the damage to my professional reputation built over the years,’ he wrote.

Kanalelo also stated in his letter that the NFA president must refrain from using his name or defaming him in any manner henceforth.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency