Shimooshili gets COSAFA Exco role
Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Robert Shimooshili has expressed delight after being elected to the executive committee of Southern Africa’s biggest football body.
Shimooshili will serve on the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) executive committee following the organisation’s 2026 Elective General Assembly (EGA) held in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sunday.
He follows in the footsteps of former NFA presidents Frans Mbidi and John Muinjo, who previously served on COSAFA structures.
The meeting also saw Botswana’s Tariq Babitseng elected unopposed as COSAFA president alongside a newly elected executive committee.
Shimooshili and the new leadership are expected to help drive football development in Southern Africa over the next three years.
The NFA president told Sport Wrap that he hopes his new role will help strengthen football both in Namibia and across the region.
“It is a proud moment for me to be elected to such an important role on the COSAFA platform.
“This is a great step and I will make sure that football in the region develops to its full potential.
“As a representative from Namibia, I will also ensure that the country’s interests are well represented on such a platform,” he said.
The former Blue Waters Football Club chairman and Namibia Premier League chairperson rose to prominence when he was elected NFA president in 2023.
Since taking office, Shimooshili has been vocal about the need for change and improvement in Namibian football.
The event was attended by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who congratulated COSAFA on the development work undertaken in the Southern African region.
CECAFA president Paulos Weldehaimanot also attended as an invited guest.
New broom
Babitseng takes over leadership of the regional football body from outgoing president Said Ali Said Athouman following the EGA, where member associations gathered to reaffirm COSAFA’s commitment to strengthening football development, competitions and administration across Southern Africa.
“This is the COSAFA that is going to stand united in everything we will be doing,” Babitseng said.
“I would like to thank all the presidents for having the confidence in me to lead the biggest zonal union in Africa.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the trust that has been placed in me. This is not a victory for one person or one nation. It is a victory for unity in Southern Africa.
“No single association can succeed alone; no nation can develop football in isolation. But as a united force, it becomes difficult for anything to stand against us.
“I would also like to thank the outgoing COSAFA leadership, led by my brother Said Ali Said Athouman, for its stability. I also thank CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe for his leadership in African football. We feel his support,” he said.
Madagascar’s Alfred Randriamanampisoa was elected COSAFA vice-president, while Zambia’s Brenda Kunda secured the reserved women’s seat on the executive committee.
Other elected executive committee members are Lijane Nthunya (Lesotho), Nqobile Magwizi (Zimbabwe), Peter Simelane (Eswatini) and Shimooshili.
South Africa’s Linda Zwane and Angola’s Irene Gonçalves were co-opted onto the executive committee.
The newly elected COSAFA executive committee will guide the organisation’s strategic direction as it continues to drive football growth and development across the region.
The election process was supervised by the COSAFA Electoral Committee in accordance with the COSAFA Electoral Code.
The gathering in Harare also allowed member associations to discuss the continued progress of football in the COSAFA region and reaffirm a shared vision for the future of the game in Southern Africa.
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