TIRI MASAWI
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dino Balloti, remains optimistic that Namibia’s men and women national football teams will play at home again, despite no funds being allocated for stadium upgrades in the mid-year budget review.
The Brave Warriors and Brave Gladiators have been forced to host home matches in South Africa and Botswana since 2021 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) deemed Independence and Sam Nujoma Stadiums unfit for international play.
In the 2022/23 financial year, the government allocated N$50 million toward renovating Independence Stadium but no significant work has been done. In May 2025, Balloti publicly pledged to fast-track the stadium’s upgrade to meet CAF standards and restore international football to Namibia. With the FIFA calendar’s only remaining window from 10–18 November, the chance for the Brave Warriors to host a home game this year is uncertain.
Despite the omission from Finance Minister Erica Shafudah’s mid-year budget, Balloti remains hopeful. He told Namibia Business Review that a progress report on stadium construction and upgrades was submitted to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah last Thursday.
“It’s no secret that the desire and goal was to have both our men and women’s senior sides play at home. Many variables are at play, and it’s not an overnight fix. I assure the nation that it’s receiving priority. There’s a progress report we submitted to Her Excellency last week at the State House, and timelines were agreed,” Balloti said last week.
Earlier this year, the government announced plans to build and renovate seven CAF-approved 30 000-seat stadiums in Oshakati, Rundu, Khomas (Independence Stadium), Outapi, Swakopmund, Eenhana, and Keetmanshoop. Six smaller 10,000-seat stadiums were planned for Omuthiya, Mariental, Gobabis, Katima Mulilo, Otjiwarongo, and Nkurenkuru, alongside multi-purpose youth centres in Mariental, Nkurenkuru, and Opuwo. The government needs at least N$6.9 billion budget for over five years for sports infrastructure and career development, with an overall goal of creating over 29 000 jobs in the sector.
PRESSING NEEDS
The mid-year budget re-alignment prioritised urgent government operations, leaving stadium projects in limbo. Key allocations included N$100 million for the Offices of the President and Prime Minister, N$814 million for the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (covering tuition subsidies and teacher recruitment), and N$185 million for the Ministry of Health and Social Services to hire 1 537 health workers. An amount of N$61 million is availed to the Ministry of Finance under Contingency
Provision.
The Electoral Commission will receive an amount of N$30 million to cater for the shortfall caused by additional by-elections. The National Assembly is to receive additional N$15 million to cater for a shortfall on personnel expenditure and Parliamentary Committees’ oversight and a further N$30 million to purchase a building for Members of Parliament Office accommodation.
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