The Namibia Football Association (NFA) through its acting secretary general Barry Rukoro has described the late Brave Warriors coach Ben Bamfuchile as a committed, dedicated and passionate football coach.
â??â??Over the past 18 months that Ben lived in Namibia, we began to understand the depth of knowledge that he possessed about the game that he selflessly passed onto the young team he built in Namibia.,â??â?? the statement issued on Friday read.
â??â??We were truly impressed with Benâ??s commitment to the success of the team. We witnessed first-hand Benâ??s passion for sharing his vast pool of African experience as he inculcated the desire and hunger for qualification to the African Cup of Nations and the need to make that a habit in the youthful Brave Warriors team.
â??â??Namibia will remember Ben as the great coach who came to this country and turned around the dreams of a football-success starved nation into reality. He is recognised as one of the best football coaches ever to have coached this country. We will remember him as one of the best when it comes to talent identification. He built a new team from players who otherwise could have spent their football lives in the lower divisions of Namibian football.â??â??
The NFA further extended their condolences to the bereaved family of the late Bamfuchile saying,â??â?? Namibian football has lost a great coach, but the Bamfuchile family has lost much more â?? a husband, a father, a brother and a son.â??â??
Tributes to the Bamfuchile family also poured in from Namibia's Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, John Mutorwa. Mutorwa described Bamfuchile as a competent and professional coach, saying that he had done a lot for football in Namibia during his short tenure as coach.
â??â??On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia, the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture (MYNSSC), hereby conveys our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members, relatives and close friends of the late Mr. Ben Bamfuchile. As the late Mr. Bamfuchile was a Zambian national, we, equally convey the same heartfelt condolences, to the government and people of the Republic of Zambia, â??â?? Mutorwa said in a statement.
â??â??For the Brave Warriors, may the upcoming 2008 AFCON competitions, provide the ideal platform, at which you, through your participation and indeed competition, must truly honour, the late Mr. Bamfuchileâ??s immeasurable contributions to the game of football in our country. You will now have to play for essentially three broad noble objectives: (a) for the memory and the legacy of the late Mr. Bamfuchile; (b) for the good name of our country, Namibia; and (c) for your own individual professional careers in football.â??â??
â??â??May the soul of the late Mr. Ben Bamfuchile, Namibiaâ??s national football coach, peacefully rest, in eternal peace,â??â?? Mutorwa concluded.
Bamfuchile laid to rest today
Meanwhile, Bamfuchile was laid to rest today in his native Zambia. Rukoro the NFAâ??s acting secretary general flew to Zambia last Friday to attend the funeral on behalf of Nambiaâ??s football fraternity.