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A heated altercation at Okahandja on Sunday which saw coaches Ronnie Kanalelo and Paulus Shipanga reaching for weapons to resolve their dispute has raised questions around safety at sport venues. Both coaches admitted to bringing weapons to the Namibia Premier Football League match between Bucks Buccaneers and Blue Waters at Nau-Aib Stadium. Shipanga, who coaches Blue Waters, had a knife and Bucks mentor Kanalelo had a pistol. Both men say a post-match squabble around the refereeing of the contest on the field sparked the stand-off, which escalated to a full-on confrontation in the parking lot. Shipanga pulled a knife from his vehicle, with Kanalelo reaching for his gun from his car, before the pair were dissuaded by onlookers. Shipanga claims Kanalelo repeatedly provoked him while the former was talking to the match official by calling him “a weak coach and sore loser”. “Losing is not the issue. It is when someone comes for your character that you see it’s personal. That’s why I said if it’s personal then let us settle it like men. I’m not afraid of him,” Shipanga says. “He followed me to my car. I took out my knife when he walked towards me. He then ran to his car and took out a gun.” Confirming the incident, Kanalelo says the verbal volley did not warrant such a strong reaction from Shipanga, as it was done in jest and within the confines of competitive football spirit. He says Shipanga is “a volatile character” who cannot accept when events do not play out in his favour. “Yes, it’s true. I called him weak and that I would have done a better job than him if I have the squad he is in charge of,” says Kanalelo of his role in the fracas. “I only took out my gun after he pulled out a knife when I went to shake his hand to extend an apology.” Both coaches are known to be fiery personalities, however, bringing weapons to a match and then making use of them to settle their differences is unacceptable, says Namibia Football Association (NFA) spokesperson Isack Hamata. He says the incident was regrettable and not in keeping with the spirt of fair play or the code of conduct of organised football. Hamata says security officers at match venues are tasked with ensuring that everyone who enters the stadium is thoroughly searched. “What happened at Okahandja points to a security breach,” says Hamata, who added that the NFA will take appropriate action once they have received and studied the incident report. “It is unfortunate that these gentlemen were allowed to enter the premises with weapons. It is also unfortunate that they brought weapons into the stadium. “Everyone should play their roles. You would trust that teams ensure their buses or personal vehicles do not contain objects that may be used to cause harm to others. “A stadium should be a safe space for players, officials and supporters,” Hamata adds. HIGH TENSIONS Tensions are running high as the football season nears its conclusion. Both teams have had poor campaigns and are battling to steer clear of relegation. Both coaches says their actions cast Namibian football in a bad light, doing little to improve the game’s poor image caused by perennial administration shortcomings. “I made a big mistake, I should not have reacted in the manner that I did; I should have walked away,” Shipanga says. “I apologised to my players. I also extend an apology from the bottom of my heart to the football lovers and the nation for my actions. I let them down and I also let myself down.” Kanalelo says he was amenable to finding common ground with his “younger brother” and also lamented his actions. “I should never have gone to get my gun. Our differences should never have entered that space. I accept that I reacted and behaved wrongly.” Blue Waters, Shipanga’s employer, says: “We’ve been made aware of an altercation involving one of our coaching staff members after our recent match at Okahandja. The matter will be probed internally, which will subsequently determine the appropriate course of action.” The post Coaches pull gun, knife in football dispute appeared first on The Namibian.