Thru pass magazine august 2012

lifting the lid lifting the lid 26 July - 29 August 2012 1Page.

02 August - 29 August 2012

We speak toRookie of the Season

INSIDE

Waiting in the Wings

If i were a Footballer ……Page 8

Page 2

3 Page

lifting the lid26 July - 29 August 20122Page.

Editor’s Corner

with the Dribbler

The Olympics are the world’s biggest sports event. Even those of us who are so passionate about football agree

that nothing surpasses the Olympic Games, not even the FIFA World Cup. We still think though that as a single code, the FIFA World Cup offers the biggest excitement.

None of the athletes representing Namibia at the London Olympics are footballers but it shall not preclude Thru Pass editorial team to wish Team Namibia all the best for their participation in the Olympics. Many of us will just see the Olympics on television and read about it. Even comment about performances but we will never get there in our lifetime. It therefore makes sense that we transfer all our hope and prayers into the members of Team Namibia and their management to represent us to the best of their abilities.

Whether you win a medal or nothing, come back with your heads held high. It’s the effort that you have put in the competition that will count.

Now on a football note, the ‘dead period’ in Namibian football was characterized by robust debate on various platforms about the state of the game locally. The Thru Pass Magazine group on Facebook made for much of that debate (read story elsewhere) with some criticizing the football authorities for a laid back approach to the development of the game while others added their penny’s worth with arguments favouring the Namibia Football Association. The debates were fierce at times, often bordering on personalities and touching on raw nerves on a few occasions.

These debates will continue into the future and people will say what they find worth saying until they see and feel a difference in the manner that football is administered. The majority of the arguments are based on perception, and perception as we all know is based on or limited to what you hear and see around you. You are limited in your arguments to the things you know. Perhaps justifiably and rightly so, the NFA is chided for its lack of sharing information with the public.

There are many positive things happening at Soccer House and these stories need to be told to people who follow the game so passionately that they can hardly swallow the juiciest piece of meat when things go wrong on the football field. The unfortunate thing, as could be deduced from the debates, is that there is a dearth of information. The public is craving for information from Soccer House. They feel starved of information, which if they have, can give them a sense of association with what the soccer authorities are doing. However, not enough seems to be communicated with or known by the larger base of football people in Namibia.

The NFA may be justified to argue that they communicate their issues through official structures which are composed of the members and affiliates. The unfortunate thing here is that information from the NFA to these members (leagues) end with these members and do not filter through to the masses who as key to the growth of the game as are the players and officials. The NFA is thus challenged to share its successes and shortcomings with the people. Maybe, just maybe, the anti-Soccer House sentiment brewing in street corners could die before its birth.

5Continues on pagePS: kindly forward your letters, comments and opinions to [email protected]

Since Bernard Norii Kaanjuka took over as interim coach of the

senior national team, there have been lots of calls to in-clude specific players that some people think deserve to be in the national set-up. Justified or not, every football lover has his or her preference based on a num-ber of reasons.

The coach too, has his reasons for selecting the players that he selects and his performance and the extension or termination of the coaching contract will depend on how those particular players perform. That is why the coach’s job is the most delicate, espe-cially at national team level where every one of the two million Namibian inhabit-ants feels they know better than the person in charge of the team.

The turnover rate of coaches in Namibia and elsewhere in the world is so high. And it is easy to un-derstand why. A coach is hired to make the team win.

If he doesn’t, he is out. It is as simple as that.

But to give Kaanjuka a bigger headache than he already has, Thru Pass has compiled its own list of eleven players who are thought to be the heirs ap-parent of the positions in the national team. These are players who have per-formed consistently for their clubs week in and week out and who would do an equally good job should they be given a chance to don the red jersey of the Brave Warriors.

Here is the Thru Pass “Waiting in the Wings” Se-lection. It is based on the on the 4-3-3 formation that the Braves are currently using.

GOALKEEPER: Charles Uirab (SKW) - The reason why SKW did so well in the 2011/2012 season. He is a goalkeeper with a big heart.

RIGHT BACK: Marvin Katire (Black Africa) - Very reliable and coachable. Not an overlapping player, but very good in his defensive duties and hardly gives any

wrong pass. Can be hard and tough if need be.

LEFT BACK: Edmund Kambanda (Benfica) - With a lack of quality left footed players, this boy stands out head and shoulders above the rest and he is only 18 years of age. He has the physical ability to overlap the entire 90 minutes. He is strong and fearless.

CENTRE BACK: Pat Nevin Uanivi (African Stars) - Sometimes over-looked because of his petite size, but any striker in the league will testify that he is the smartest defender in the NPL. He has great anticipa-tion and perfect timing.

CENTRE BACK: Martin Kambungu (SKW) – He was converted from midfield to defence where he looks much more comfortable. He is strong in the air and a good tackler. He is improv-ing with every game.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD: Emilio Martin (Ramblers) - One of the best passers of the ball. A match winner from set pieces and very good game reading ability that is needed for a defen-sive midfielder.

ATTACKING MID-FIELD: Marko van Wyk (Black Africa) - A player that you won’t see on the field, but you will miss him when he is not play-ing. He is a true p r o f e s s i o n a l . He is ever hard working and can play any-where in mid-field and he can score important goals. He is

also very good in the air. ATTACKING MID-

FIELD: Steven Gariseb Petit (Civics) - His work rate is second to none. He can win balls and make it hard for any player to take it from him. He has a never say die attitude.

RIGHT WING (FOR-WARD): -Stanley Ka-maisiepo (Orlando Pirates) - One feels sorry for any left back facing him. He is strong and speedy and he provides a lot of options for his strikers.

CENTRE FORWARD - Papi Kavezembi (Tura Magic) - He is one of the best target men in Namib-ian football and also the best header of the ball. He scored a third of his goals from headers. He is very difficult to mark due to high work rate.

LEFT WING (FOR-WARD): -Joslin Kamatuka (SKW) - He has pace and can leave any player on the ground. He is very tricky and is not shy in front of goals. He has rescued SKW with vital goals this season.

Waiting in the Wings

Bernard Kaanjuka

African Stars fans, known as the 12th Man, are walking with a spring in their step

these days and they are not shy to tell all those who care to hear them out that next season is theirs.

And that is all because Namibia’s own Mourinho, real name Ali Akan, has been plucked from the galaxy of local coaches to make the Stars shine brighter next season.

Although he was out of the game for quite some time, Akan brings to Stars a wealth of experience, having won three leagues titles with three different clubs. The Stars supporters are naturally happy with the acquisition and they are confident that Black Africa, winners of the NPL crown for the past two seasons, will be kicked off the pedestal. Thru Pass contacted several former players of African Stars as well as ordinary fans to gauge their views about Ali Akan. The majority were positive and commended club

owner, Sidney Martin for bringing Ali to Stars. Here are a few selected comments from former players and fans:

Ziggy Kavezemburuka Veii-Mujoro (African Stars Supporters Club): I believe we made a good decision in the interest of the club.

Ali has a very good record. We trust he will achieve and give us the results we require. We call supporters to rally behind the club in both good and bad times. We need you and promise a lot for the new season. We welcome Ali to African Stars family with open hearts and wish him all the best for times ahead.

Zico Tjazerua (Former African Stars midfielder and now with the supporters club): We welcome the new coach Ali Akan whole heartedly. We also thank management (of African Stars) for the move. We are hoping that he will be given the playing staff he requires in order to take the team back to its glory days. My advice to him is that he should conduct himself professionally in order to be taken seriously and endear himself to the hordes of hard-to-please, faithful supporters of this team, the biggest team in the

African Stars 12th Man Give Akan the Thumbs Up

Ali Akan


5Continues on page

His frame and gangly posture is deceptive. He does not come across as a defender playing for a team that ended second in the MTC Premier-

ship challenge. He is far from a complete and mature player and he is also not a top defender yet. But many eyes were trained on him during league matches to see if he was really up to the challenge of preventing top strik-ers from scoring.

Facts don’t lie. Peter Steven, Civics defender and Thru Pass Rookie (newcomer) of the 2011/12 Season was partly responsible for his team’s lack of generosity at the back. Not many opposition strikers could penetrate the Civics defence, thanks to Steven and his fellow rear guard. Out of 22 league matches, Steven only missed out on three. These are easy to explain. For the first one he was out on junior national team duty. For the second one he was serving a suspension and the third one, his coach decided to rest him as Civics had by then already secured third place and a loss by any margin of goals

would have counted for nothing. Peter Steven transferred from Colts the previous sea-

son where he played second division football and fin-ished the season second. His coach, Christy Guruseb who also mentors Colts, decided to drag him and other youngsters along to Civics. The sentiment was largely negative among football followers. Such a young squad and an inexperienced coach would not make it to the fin-ish line. The young players will burn out and big teams will run them over. None of that proved to be true. In fact, Civics ran over quiet a number of big teams and the young boys, Steven included, stood their ground against tougher opposition.

At the end of the season, a select team of football experts, decided to make Steven the Thru Pass Rookie of the Season. It is an award that comes along with an N$500-00 and a trophy.

Steven was at a loss for words, the acknowledgement is

a big feather in his cap and more than anything else, he said it should spur him on to perform better in the next season. The young lad is also mindful that he cannot win the award twice as it is reserved for newcomers in the MTC Premiership. He must now contest for the big prizes. However, his focus is not on the individual prize but on the collective which is for his team to do better than last year. And that means winning the league. With the support of management, fellow teammates and the supporters, he thinks nothing is impossible. Civics has won the league thrice before.

Steven says individual achievements are meaningless if the greater picture is not taken into account. He thus credits his fellow teammates for his achievement thus far and pledges to pay back their support with extra hard work on the training ground and on the field. “Next sea-son will be difficult but we must continue to be a family,

hold hands and work hard as a team,” he says. Asked about how he will cope without his mentor, Christy Gu-ruseb who moved over to Orlando Pirates, the tough as teak player said it will be difficult and he will see how things goes. “But I will still call him to ask for advice where necessary,” he was quick to add.

Steven is a young man with foresight. Unlike other youngsters of his age who think they have arrived on the big stage, he has enrolled for a Business Information Systems (BIS) Degree and is now in the second year of that academic programme at the International Univer-sity of Management. Studying and playing soccer is not easy, he admits but he advises that football is a short ca-reer which needs to be augmented by education.

“Education is vital. You can always fall back on your education once you finish playing or if your soccer ca-reer is stopped by injury,” says Steven.

In Conversation with Thru Pass Rookie of the Year

“Next season will be difficult but we must continue to be a family, hold hands and work hard as a team”

Bernard Kaanjuka

Within seven years of its exis-tence, Katutura club, Tura Magic FC captured every-

one’s imagination by winning promo-tion to the Namibia Premier League. The short space of time within which it rose through the ranks makes Tura Magic the only club in Namibia to have achieved such a feat, at least af-ter Independence.

That has obviously excited both players and management who are as excited about the new season as much as they are worried about what the immediate future in the top flight holds. No sooner had they qualified for the elite league than the players and management were receiving re-minders from arm chair critics about how they will spend one season ‘up there’ and come back to join the First Division where they spent three of their seven years of existence. How-ever, in the all-embracing interview, a founding player of Tura Magic and erstwhile captain of the National Un-der 20 team, Oswaldo Xamseb shares the team’s history, immediate chal-

lenges and hopes for the future.Thru Pass: You are part of the Tura

Magic success story? How did it hap-pen?

Oswaldo Xamseb: Yes I’m part of the Tura Magic history. Well it started seven years ago when two ambitious gentlemen, Mr. Jakes

Amaning and Mr. Collin Benjamin, later joined by Isack Hamata, de-cided to start a football academy. This academy included an u/15 and u/17 boys soccer team.

We trained for two years without playing any league or tournaments. In 2007, the Khomas Under-17 Youth

League was launched and it was di-vided into two streams. The winners of the streams had to play off in a fi-nal to determine the ultimate league winner. We played Civics in the final and lost 2-1.

The next season we didn’t make it to the finals as we lost to Ongete United on penalties. The team couldn’t par-ticipate in the u/17 the following year since half of the squad was turning 18 years. The management couldn’t throw away all the hard work, so they decided to register the team in the 2nd division. We participated in the play offs and gained promotion to the Khomas 2nd Division. The team signed a few promising players like Neville Tjiueza, Teberius Lombaardt, Charles Uirab, Culphin Gariseb and Robinson Iyambo.

Already we had the likes of Papi Ka-vezembi, Ngange Nghishikamuka and others who made a very strong team. We went on to win the 2nd division

Hard Work Awaits Tura Magic in NPL, says Ossy


Unsuspecting Blue Waters players who were perhaps expecting an exciting

training session were ordered to take their seats in a classroom in one of the schools in Kuisebmund, Walvis Bay.

When they got there, they perhaps thought the coach was going to discuss team tactics for the second leg of the 2011/2012 season. Alas, they were wrong. Coach Gilbert Rwasoka, the Zimbabwean mentor, dished out pieces of paper to the players like a teacher handing out test papers. The classroom was pregnant with bewilderment. No player exactly knew what happening until Rwasoka issued his instructions.

“Check where your team is on the log standings which you have in front of you and tell me where you want to see the team at the end

of the season.” That was Rwasoka’s short and simple lesson for the day to the Blue Waters class of players.

Each was given a sheet with the log standings at the midpoint of the season when all teams have played eleven matches. Blue Waters were at that stage competing for relegation and Rwasoka would not allow that his impressive curriculum vitae would be tainted by his involvement with a relegated team.

Blue Waters had been relegated once before and the coach was not going to be the second one responsible for taking down a club which has such an impressive history in local football. From the field of play, to the boardroom and on to the streets, Blue Waters were a trendsetting club. The attitude showed on the field and off the field with players and fans walking

‘poepel in die lig’ out of pride for the achievements of their club. Those were the glory years but Rwasoka has inherited a team low on morale. They had just returned from the lower divisions and a return there was imminent. Rwasoka had to do something and he had to do it fast. The rabbit out of the hat was the 2011/12 first round log standings and his little classroom situation which he created with the backing of team management.

As things turned out, the plot worked wonder. The players all indicated that they wanted to see the team finish in a respectable position at the end of the season. Asked to pick a position, most picked fourth place on the log standings. It seemed impossible at the time but Rwasoka had another ace up his sleeve. He ordered the players to ensure that

the team finished fourth as they themselves had wanted.

Against many people’s better judgment, Blue Waters also known as Omeya, indeed finished fourth much to the elation of Rwasoka, his players and two thirds of the Kuisebmund community. The coach has now set the bar very high for the players. For the 2012/13 season, nothing less than first to third position would be satisfactory and with that instruction, no Blue Waters player would have taken the long break before the league starts.

In the meantime though, Rwasoka is in his native Zimbabwe, spending quality time with his family and in between plotting how he can return Blue Waters to the pedestal as Namibia’s most stylish team, on an off the field.

How Rwasoka turned Blue Waters’ aeason around


with only one defeat in the whole sea-son. Went to play offs ended runners up to sfc but gained promotion to the national 1st division.

We added a few players like al-feus handura, colin ndjai, our 1st year in the 1st division we were on top till the last game where we lost 1-0 to monotronics f.c an ended 3rd . the 2nd year we added Fri-day Samu, Patrick Sakala and pro-moted a few players from our u/17 team. We ended 2nd that season. We went back, worked harder and came back a stronger team with the same players the next season. We started the following season on a bad note, losing 2-0 to newly promoted

Spoilers FC but we went on to finally winning the Southern Stream First Division.

TP: Before joining the CBSA, which club were you associated with before?

OX: I wasn’t playing for any club, Tura magic is the first and only club that I played for.

TP: You spent three seasons in the SSFD and won the league as well as promotion to the NPL at the third attempt. What do you make of that quick jump to the NPL?

OX: Well it wasn’t easy and I think we are the first club in Namibia to do that. It takes a lot of hard work, sacri-fice, dedication, a good management and a lot of money.

TP: During the past SSFD sea-son, is there any particular match or matches that you feel where the turn-

ing point in your team’s quest to win the League?

OX: Yes after our first league match in Okahandja, the one we lost 2-0 to Spoilers. I was very sad because we lost but one of my team mates, Ngange, asked me why I was sad. My reply was obvious. Because we lost the match but Ngange was very op-timistic. He was happy that we lost because we only lose one game in a season which means this year is our year. That’s when I realized that we stood a good chance of winning the league.

TP: You (Tura Magic) were always among the favorites in the SSFD. However, the NPL is a different ball game. You are automatically assum-ing the role of underdog. What are the plans for survival from your per-

sonal point of view?OX: The real hard work only starts

now. We will keep the same disci-pline, dedication and focus. We will work together and play every game like our lives depend on it.

TP: What are your personal foot-ball plans?

OX: Every footballers dream is to play in a professional setup, I would never decline an opportunity to play in an professional league anywhere in Europe. My dream is to play for Bay-ern Munich and our senior national team.

TP: What do you occupy yourself with if you are not busy with football?

OX: I spend time with my family and friends, spend time on PlaySta-tion with my closest friends and team mates.

Hard Work Awaits Tura Magic in NPL, says Ossy3Continued from page

2Continued from page

country. This is the hottest seat in the country! All the best to him and his support staff.

Menrose Harakuta (ardent fan and unofficial Stars spokesperson on Facebook): Ali Akan is having a daunting task of bringing the glory days to African Stars, but it will depend on the type of players he is going to sign, as well as a change of some management members of African Stars who have overstayed in their positions. We need new brooms of management who will take this great club to new heights as the old guard has run out of management strategies and innovation. Another challenge for Ali Akan and Stars management will be the elimination and alienation of the supporters that has been going on for years. Stars are regarded as the club that is boasting with a large supporter’s base, but has isolated their supporters in the sense that there is no visible office where supporters can have access to. Supporters have to go through the

office of Mr. Sidney Martin (club owner) to inquire about pertinent issues regarding the club, and if Sidney Martin is very serious with the success of this great club, he must first change the management, create an office that is accessible to the supporters, invest in the infrastructure of the club and create a visible brand of African Stars.

Maleachi Ngarizemo (former African Stars player, now based in Canada): African Stars have definitely made the right decision when they hired Ali Akan. All records speaks for themselves when it comes to soccer for this gentleman. He is one of the best coaches in Namibia and I have played under him at Civics and he is a good guy to work with. I think most of our players will enjoy working with him come next season. He has never failed at all the clubs he was at, and with all the players we have from the past season, which I believe they will still remain with the team and the additional ones he is bringing in such as Boetiekie Malgas, Asprilla Wehrman and Riaan Cloete, I think this will be a team to watch next season.

Stars had a good team last season, the only problem was only off the field issues and that most of the senior guys lost respect for coach Bobby Samaria because of his alleged interference with the players pay and stuff. Coach Ali is a big fan of Rudy Louw, Jamu Ngatjizeko, Pat Nevin Uanivi, ,Dennis Ngueza and add to that the experience of Stigga Ketjirere, Freedom Puriza and Max Mbaeva and all the other guys then you will know that this is the team to watch next season. I bet you Stars will be up for anything that is coming next season.

Sackey Handura (supporter): I think it is good for African to have a coach of Ali’s caliber who has won major cups with different NPL clubs in the past. Secondly, I think his arrival and that of the newly signed players like Asprilla, Riaan Cloete and Malgas will supplement the existing team of good players and thus bring back the team where it was two seasons ago. Supporters can help Ali well if he shares with them his ideology and he should mingle with them to understand and give advice where necessary.

African Stars 12th Man Give Akan the Thumbs Up

Coach of the TISAN team, Willem Kapukare faces a challenge of finding

suitable replacements for the players that will be phased out of the team and thus fall out of contention for a place in next year’s squad that will participate in the World Student Games. Kapukare’s charges won gold at the recent Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Games held in Windhoek. The victory, the third in a row for TISAN, qualified Namibia’s student football team for participation at the World Student Games or Universiade as they are officially known. The Universiade are scheduled for July 2013 in Kazan, Russia.

Kapukare has confirmed that at least half of his players will graduate or finish their studies year, making them ineligible for selection and thus also adding pressure on the coach to look for

suitable replacements well ahead of time.

But he seems to be a man with a plan. The coach said although it will be a difficult exercise, plans are afoot to ensure that quality is replaced with quality and that preparations for the World Student Games start now already.

Kapukare said he will keep a close eye on the MTC Premiership a well as the First Divisions with a view to synchronizing his training schedule such that his players will be called to camp when

these leagues are not active over particular weekends. He is also looking forward to participate in the Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Games scheduled for later this year.

In addition, he will also organize friendly matches with the various national teams whenever they are in camp for one or the other competition. Such is Kapukare and his technical team’s seriousness that he has vowed to go out there, look for talented players and encourage them to enroll at

one of the tertiary institutions. TISAN will foot the bill for their studies just as it has done with a few other students before.

According to the former Liverpool FC (of Okahandja) winger, there are enough players who can replace those that are phasing out of the education system. They just need to apply and be registered at one of the recognized institutions of higher learning, he said. And besides, he added, the team competed in the CUCSA Games without the likes of NPL stars Bryan Bantam, Jerome Louis, Jack Mabuku and Willem Mwedihanga.

These players and a few others will all be available for selection provided they keep their form. That’s how serious Kapukare and the TISAN leadership take the Universiade. They want to field the best squad to send a strong message to their opponents that they are not just going to make up the numbers in Russia.

Just in case anybody is not sure what the CUCSA victory meant, TISAN’s President Werner Jeffery has confirmed that the win is indeed a ticket to the Universiade in Russia, which he said are the second biggest games after the Olympics. “This is a big achievement which Namibian people perhaps do not understand. That is why we fielded our best soccer players and we got criticism for that but in the end we did what we had to and it paid off,” said Jeffery.

Meanwhile, Jeffery has revealed that the FASU President, Dr. Malumbete Ralete, who also attended the CUCSA Games was happy with the overall organization and requested that Namibia should also host the FASU Games in December. That request is being considered, Jeffery said, adding that it will be another feather in the cap for Namibian sport in general and for TISAN in particular.

Half of TISAN Football Team to Phase Out Ahead of World Student Games


PLAYER PROFILENAME: Esty Tuli Nangula Amukwaya (nickname: Laila “Eis-tee”) CLUB: Unam Bokkies

POSITION: Central defense, goalkeeper and central midfieldJERSEY NUMBER: Number 14 for the country, and 15 for the clubPREVIOUS CLUBS: NoneFAVOURITE QUOTE/SAYING: “Never give up” AGE YOU PLAYED YOUR FIRST FOOTBALL GAME AND WHO FOR: -I started at the early age of 9. My brother taught me how to. I never had a club. I have just been following my brother wherever he goes to play.WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE FORMER NAMIBIAN PLAYER? Witbeen GerrosIF YOU WERE A FILM CHARACTER WHO WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?-Alice from Twilight, I’m fascinating about witches, vampires and wolves. If I could be one even I would be much happier…IF YOU COULD TURN BACK TIME AND WITNESS ONE EVENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?-Cassinga, when our parents were fighting for freedom. I’m glad we are living in a peaceful country.WHICH TEAMMATE IS MOST LIKELY TO SPEND LONGEST IN THE SHOWERLimba Mupetami, she is a good friend of mine, fun to hang with and an interesting person I have ever met. Giving advice where it’s needed.

THE ONE PLACE YOU WOULD NEVER GO ON HOLIDAY TO IS (and why?)-Iraq, Iran.... Your life is on the run. Waiting to die anytime soon.. Bombs,….War will never end.WHAT IS THE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO CHILDREN PLAYING FOOTBALL:-Go out there, keep on going and trust me you will enjoy the game of football.IF YOU WERE MINISTER OF SPORT FOR ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO AND WHY:-Invest more in football. Build a sport school. There are lots of children out there not good with books but very talented when it comes to football.WHICH CARTOON CHARACTER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A DATE WITH:-Johnny Bravo, even though he hits on every woman he sees in front of him. Here’s additional information that you might want to include.International matches: Four (4) matches with the Brave Gladiators, two against Tanzania in the African Women Championship qualifiers and two against the German national student team. (I’m not sure if the last two matches against the German students will be counted since it’s not a national team they played)“I have learned a lot. I would say thank you to my brother Joseph Endjala and Ms Jacky Shipanga.” She said

Esty Tuli Nangula Amukwaya

nbc 20X7


Immanuel Imms Naindjala, also known as Prince, is one of Namibia’s leading and most recognized boxers. He is currently the Interim WBO Africa Champion and he is

yet to lose a boxing contest since turning professional. Naindjala packs a lethal punch that has seen him rise to the top of the African charts.

Within two months from now, Naindjala will be stepping into the ring for a non-title fight but a few

months after that, he will probably be challenging for one of the other world title fights. That’s how talented

the fighter is. Now imagine if he was a football player. He

would probably be one of the leading stars and his signature would be the most sought after by local and maybe also foreign clubs. If his shot is as fierce as his punch then Naindjala would certainly be a contender for top goal scorer and maybe also

every goalkeeper’s nightmare.We won’t know that now since the Arandis-born lad

has chosen boxing over football. With a championship belt to his name, there is no doubt he is thriving at it.

Boxing’s gain is football’s loss. Like many Namibian boys, football was his favourite pastime. Actually he did both boxing and football. He even played Under-15 and Under-17 for his high school, Kolin Foundation in Arandis. However, wanting to be

different from all the other boys, Naindjala chose boxing over football.

But what if he had chosen football over boxing and what if he was good at football as he is in boxing? Which team would he be playing for in the Namibian Premier League?

Being a coastal boy, Naindjala said his obvious choice for a local club would be Walvis Bay-based Blue Waters but since he spends most of his time in Windhoek, he has followed keenly the progress of a particular team that has done ‘exceptionally

well’ over the past seasons. That team is Black Africa, champions for the 2010/11 and

2011/12 seasons. The team’s go-getting mentality and hunger for success is a natural fit with his own

drive for excellence, said Naindjala. And he would have been perfectly at home.

Despite having chosen boxing over football, Naindjala still that there is a lot of potential for the game provided each player gave his all. He is of the view that although football is a team sport, if each individual player gives 160% in a game that would translate into the overall success of the team. Therefore, he says, he does not buy this argument of individual versus team sports. It depends on each individual to pull his weight to ensure success just as a person in boxing or karate would do his best to succeed. Namibian sports people, regardless of the codes they practice, must get in the habit of supporting each other. “When a particular code does not do well internationally, it is not hat individual or team but the whole Namibia that fails. If there is victory, that victory is for the entire Namibia. It just makes sense for us to support each other.

Naindjala still has a lot of football in him, albeit passively. He feels as bad when the national football team does not win just as football people feel bad when Namibian boxers don’t do well. That is why, he says, he jumped at the chance to meet and motivate the Brave Warriors before the World Cup qualifying match against Kenya.

He was invited by NFA President John Muinjo to have lunch with the Brave Warriors and also took the opportunity to motivate them ahead of the Kenya match. As fate would have it, Naindjala had just beaten a Kenyan opponent the night before the football match and he saw the luncheon with the soccer stars as an opportunity to continue the winning streak against Kenya. Needless to say, Namibia defeated Kenya 1-0 courtesy of Henrico Botes to give cause for a double celebration.

If his motivational talk to the players means anything, he would love to do it every once in a while to spur on the Brave Warriors but he also wants the footballers to go out and do the same for other codes.

Asked who which Namibian footballer he looks up to, Germany-based Collin Benjamin was his natural idol for the ‘way he relates to people from all walks of life, regardless of their status.’

“That’s how all of us should behave towards each other, you know.”

If I Were a Footballer ……With Imms Naindjala

“When a particular code does not do well internationally, it is not hat individual or team but the whole Namibia that fails”

N amibians like their football, and that’s a fact. They also like to make sure that the

next person knows their opinion about anything football related. That’s also a fact.One would have thought that it was a fact that Namibians liked and appreciated all their national team players, especially those who did battle at major tournaments like the COSAFA and AFCON.

Anyone who thought that, was apparently wrong. It appears there are deep seated differences among fans and players (former and current) about the contributions of the different generations of players. What emerged lately was that there was a gulf between the revered Class of 1998 and the Bamfuchile Babes, the group that took Namibia to the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

If words were f ire and Facebook

grass, that social media platform would have burned to ashes by the sheer volume of contributions posted by football followers as well as former and current players. In total 131 contributions were made to the discussion.

Orlando Pirates (SA) midfielder, Rudolf Bester, going under the name Visto Papa Diouppa f ired the f irst friendly salvo, asking what made the class of 98 so special if his own group of 2008 also played at an African Cup of Nations. The war of attrition had started, the Thru Pass page on Facebook was on f ire in no time with arguments for and against either side. The older contributors naturally leaned with the Class of 98 but the younger ones, including current players dismissed the notion that the f irst generation Brave Warriors was a special breed.

The protagonists on the Class

of 98 side were Silvester Goraseb, Page Ananias, Robert Nauseb, Congo Hindjou, Muhammed Ouseb while Bester, Richard Gariseb and Alfred Ndyenge held the forte for those who competed at the Ghana AFCON in 2008.

Arguments went to and from and it emerged eventually that it was not so much about being the better or more special but rather what the one group did that the other did not do. Prominent and outspoken member of the Class of 98, Silvester Goraseb went in with the kil ler punch, explaining that there were three independence celebrations in the history of Namibia, in his view. The f irst was the Independence from apartheid South Africa, the second was reintegrating Walvis Bay back into Namibia and the third was the Brave Warriors Class of 98 liberating Namibia on a social and sporting front.

He qualif ied that by saying that the Class of 98 laid the foundation and won the hearts of the Namibian people to the extent that 14 years later, ‘the Nation sti l l remembers how we defeated the legendary Bafana Bafana AFCON 96’ champions with their suppers stars! We remember how Our Founding Father, Founding Prime Minister, and the His Excellency President Pohamba and the entire Nation celebrated that moment of liberation and invited us to State House.”

“If you ask people on the street they sti l l remember and recognize our achievements! We are proud of the Class of 2008, but they should not compare themselves to others and people should not confuse the years! My advice is they should take up their recognition with the authorities, make their case and pay respect to the Class of 98.”

Class of 98 vs Bamfuchile Babes Spark ‘Veld Fire’ on Facebook


It’s hard to believe but women’s football is a few months from turning 21 years old. There have been teething problems along the way but there is much more to celebrate. From

the days when our national team was beaten by a club side to a time when foreign national teams are falling over themselves to test their strength against our own girls. That’s cause for celebration, says founder Julien Garises. Thru Pass cornered her to get a brief background about where it all started and plans to celebrate the maturity of the women’s game in Namibia.

THRU PASS: Give us a brief background of Women’s football in Namibia?

JG: The 30th November 1991 would go down as the day that we gave birth to women’s football in this country. It was the day that Honourable Hage Geingob launched it at the World Children’s Crech and since then we never looked back. Our First tournament, regionally, was the Pilchards Tournament sponsored by local business man Mr. Aron Mushimba and at club level we had the Walkins competition sponsored by Mrs. Laina Mannase. We were also blessed with the visit of a women’s football club by the name of Tsakane Ladies from Springs in South Africa.

Tsakane Ladies played against City Girls as well as against a Namibian invitation side. That was a good eye opening experience for us. So much was happening for us since the launch of women’s football. A German invitation team played against our national team while myself and Barbara, the first national team coach, travelled to places like Okakarara and Otjiwarongo for coaching clinics. We started a league with 12 teams, including schools and it proved to be a big success.

The current situation is that we have a Super League with 6 teams, 6 Regional Leagues, the Galz& Goalz project for the younger girls and then the national teams participating from Under-16 to Brave Gladiators level.

TP: Exactly what sparked the idea of introducing women’s football here

JG: It was one night during 1991 when myself, Mimi “Dread” Gaingos and Makuka “Radebe” !Hoases were sitting in front of the television, watching the final of the Women’s Football World Cup final between the USA and China. We were first shocked when we saw women playing football at that level. There and then we took the decision to get local women’s football structures up and running. I was given the responsibility of contacting the football authorities while Mimi has to ensure that the media was sensitized about our plan. She contacted then famous sports writer, Conrad Safari Angula of the Namibian who introduced our idea to the nation with a masterpiece in the Namibian newspaper. I contacted the NFA and was well received by Mr. Hendrick “Ou Krie” Christiaans, the then head of the motherbody. The next day we received very positive feedback and +- 100 women & girls come to the meeting at the old compound (now owned by Red Cross). We held a successful meeting and agreed to start a football league as soon as possible. Back then there was a team called Sorento Bucs, owned and managed by businessman Jafet Helao. He agreed to our request to share training facilities with his club. The rest, as they say, is history.

TP: Who are the people that you worked with back then who contributed to the growth of women’s football?

JG: When I saw the overwhelming interest from very passionate women and girls I knew we were in for a good cause. We approached the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in particular the Director of Sports, Dr. V Veii and together with his regional sports officers, we decided to have a regional tournament. The first tournament was in Otjiwarongo where we had teams from all the 13 regions. Accommodation and transport was covered by the ministry and the selection was done by the sports officers. A National team was selected and we toured to Swaziland in 1995. It was our first trip outside the borders of Namibia. We realized that without a league there was no future and we thus started with a league in the Khomas region. We involved schools, UNAM, as well as two independent clubs, City Girls & Survivals. Our first tournament, as stated earlier, was Pilchards sponsored by Mr. Mushimba, and supported with music by Ndilimani. Mr. Keith Allies, then sponsorship coordinator at Namibia Breweries Limited also ensured the success of the tournament with sponsorship from his company.

After the two tournaments, we decided to have a meeting to choose committee members to lead women’s football. I was democratically elected as chairperson by the meeting which was chaired by Mrs. Bience Gawanas-Minney. Ms. Petsy Neiss was elected Secretary and Mr. Tom Minney as

the treasurer. There is a long list of people who assisted in one way or

the other, it is unfair to single out some and leave out others but there few I will mention Founding President Dr. Sam Nujoma and Honourable Hage Geingob who really came through for us. As I said, many other people did marvelous things for us but they are too many to mention here.

TP: As a founder of women’s football in the country, what is your assessment of the growth of the sport?

JG: The game of Women’s football has grown in a way I never imagined. We start it as a hobby but today it offers more opportunity to players as young as U16 up to the level of Brave Gladiators. They have soccer families that take care of their academic and daily needs. They participate at National, Regional and International level. They have a school of excellence week for outstanding players throughout the country. I witnessed last year in Enhana in the Ohangwena region the passion and growth of women’s football and the commitment from sports officials and players. We now have a Super League with six teams as well as regional leagues running around the country. We also receive sponsorship from FIFA for the leagues and we have UNICEF to thank for the Galz & Goalz project for young girls. In addition, we have training programs in all sports disciplines for all those involved in women’s football and we have seminars in women’s football while we have representation at regional bodies.

TP: Looking back, what are the challenges you encountered & how have you been able to overcome them?

JG: The obvious challenges were that we could not participate in regional or international competitions at the rate that the current players are participating at all levels. We made up for that with a National tournament where all

13 regions participated and we selected a team that toured to Swaziland. We travelled by road and it was a big thing for all of us. Camaraderie was established and we all had the will to represent the country. It was a big thing. At club level, there were no issues as long as we trained and played. The desire and wishes from the players was to play.

Acquiring playing gear for women players was also a challenge as there were no Chinese shops to buy cheap and affordable playing kit. The two women’s clubs, City Girls and Survivals, depended on Nampol FC, Sorento Bucs FC & Orlando Pirates FC for playing gear.

But on the whole, women’s soccer was fun as it still is today. As City Girls we traveled to Walvis Bay to play a girls team but we ended up playing against boys as the original opponents chickened out at the last minute.

TP: Is women’s football in good hands at the moment?JG: Yes, of course. With the support of the NFA and FIFA,

financially and through projects, women’s football can only grow bigger. The fulltime appointment of the National coach, Ms. Jacqui Shipanga is a plus for women’s football. Add to that the commitment of NFA EXCO member Ms Jacky Gertze as well as that of Galz & Goalz Coordinator Ms Natasha Cloete then you have a winning combination.

TP: What can be done to take the sport to a higher level here home?

JG: The participants at all the disciplines must be involved in the game. It is important to share the knowledge with the kids. Active coaches must play a bigger role at regional level and they should be afforded opportunity to get involved at National level as scouts, giving input on performance of the teams and even to be roped in at the National level. Former players with the right attitude and commitment should also get involved within the structures to give back to the community and make a positive impact on current players.

TP: You are planning a celebration for the21 years of women’s football. Tell us about it?

JG: We came a long way with women’s football and we need to celebrate that. Women’s football in Namibia has matured and a glass of champagne will be the best thing for such a celebration. Parents normally will not celebrate every occasion but historically “21 years” is given the respect it deserves and celebration is necessary because of the joy and tears that the child has brought to the house. Similarly we will celebrate the maturity of women’s football here in Namibia. It is not going to be a big thing but the idea is to

invite all the former players to come and take us down the memory lane. They must share with the rest of us where everything started and where we are today. That will be on 30 November2012 and on the next day, the idea is to have a Thanksgiving event where we will have a small service

to remember the fallen players. Then we are planning a big match on the afternoon of 30 November 2012 to teach the current players how it is supposed to be done (lol). The idea has been shared with Ms Shipanga and Ms. Gertze as it needs the blessing and support from NFA. Once we have the NFA’s full endorsement we will make known to the public all the other plans we have for that day, like recognizing most of the people who helped us when we started women’s football.

TP: Finally, tell us about yourself.JG: I played football for the first female Team in Namibia,

City Girls. I’m the first female executive member (First Lady of Namibian Football) to serves on the Namibia Football Association, from 1994-2005. I delivered a speech (women football on Continent & the Challenges) at the Women in Sports International Conference in 1998. That conference took place in Windhoek and after my speech we met with FIFA delegates and had discussions with the different representatives of women’s football. I was a member of the working group that drafted the four (4) year program for women’s football development as advised by FIFA. Subsequently, FIFA took a Resolution after that International Conference in 1998 that at all the FIFA Congresses one of the national federation delegates should be a representative of women’s football. I attended the first FIFA Women’s Symposium in Los Angeles, USA.

I was also AFCON Bid Ambassador for the 2010 tournament and served as Team Manager for the Brave Gladiators from 2006-2007. Secretary-General NAWISA (Namibia Women in Sports 1998-1999) I served as P.R.O for the Rural Tournament - Sundowner Cup – for its 10 year anniversary. Currently I am an executive member of the Rural Development League in the Erongo Region (khoen di ligab, 2010- current), Founder Member of JUGASA (Julien Garises Sports Academy) and I also act as Match Commissioner and Referees Assessor, a responsibility I had since 2010.

And then finally I am the chairperson of the 21 Anniversary Women’s Football Celebration Committee.

TP: Thank you for your time, JG: Thank you too for this opportunity. It is much

appreciated. I would also like to take this time to thank all the NFA presidents and their executives for the continuous support to women’s football. Thanks also go to everyone who did his or her bid to change this hobby into an opportunity to put bread on table for our girls and women.

Celebrating 21 years of women’s football in Namibia

Julien Garises

“There have been teething problems along the way but there is much more to celebrate”


As I was humbly watching my beloved Azzuri plummet to their knees with my old man, it made me realize that their philosophy is what took them

to the final of the Euro 2012 against Spain. And as much as it may have hurt losing to the Spanish, I would rather we lost 4-0 in a cup final, knowing they gave it their all than go out defensively 1- 0. Which brings me to the topic at hand - coaching philosophies.

Let me start by defining a coaching philosophy in my own words - how does my team play to win. It’s that simple. If we look into the Dutch philosophy of using a 4-3-3 system, we can see that they are not of the opinion that you need to stop your opponent from scoring but rather playing to attack. Coach Bobby Samaria, in my opinion Namibia’s best coach, bases his coaching philosophy on ‘The Winning Formula’, a Dutch publication focusing solely on playing attacking football. This philosophy coach Samaria says, and I quote, ‘’is not determined by losing possession of the ball, but how to win at all costs.’’

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, a World Cup coach with five different countries, including South Africa, places great value on creativity and overlapping wing backs. It is with this philosophy of allowing players to express themselves that he won the World Cup in 1994 with Brazil. He had his very own style of coaching which can be seen as his philosophy. Whether it was the right philosophy for the South African team at the 2010 World Cup is, however, questionable.

Tom Seintfeit, one of Namibia’s most defensive minded coaches, is a coach that I also have tremendous respect for. He made it clear from the very start that it was his way or the highway, and it was always clear when watching the team play what he was trying to do – not concede any goals. Many armchair coaches felt that his ‘negative tactics’ took the Brave Warriors backwards, a debate I’m not getting into. What I am, however, trying to allude to is that the team played a certain style of football under his tutelage. They were ALWAYS behind the ball, and hit teams on the counter attack with the right and left backs never venturing past the half way line. The concept - coaching philosophy, is all I’m trying to discuss and focusing on his implementation of how he wanted the team to play was 10 out of 10.

I remember a chat we had when he helped me select a now defunct Ramblers under-20 side. One of the first things he asked me was, ‘’what is your coaching philosophy?’’ I replied by saying to win pretty or ugly but to win at all costs. It was a conversation I will never forget. That same team consisted of now NPL starlets such as Gustav ‘Image’ Isaacs, Larry ‘Dolams Finest’ Horaeb, Joslin ‘General Kaepe’ Kamatuka, Garren ‘Sweetness’ Smith, Mukonga ‘Scorpion’ Hangara and Theunny ‘Bhasera’ Thomas to only mention a few. In defining my then unknown philosophy he told me that I could not build a team with a preset formation but to rather base the formation of the team on the strengths of the players. Meaning, if you have the best young wingers in the country, why base your style of attack through the middle?

Another coach I have read and studied, before coming to ‘The Special One’ is Giovanni Trapattoni. Those in the know refer to him as the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A, winning the league an unprecedented 7 times. He also won league titles in Austria (Salzburg), Germany (Stuttgart) and Portugal (Benfica) as well as having coached Italy in the 2002 World Cup. He is currently the coach of the Republic of Ireland. I could write all day about his achievements and accolades but what I really want to bring forward was a comment I read. He once said, ‘’with a club I was a sculptor – with the national team I’m a blender.’’

This comment highlights the difference between club and national team coaching, using different philosophies. The sculptor (club coach) basis his day to day work on shaping a piece of wood into an art piece. In other words, designing and building a team as he sees fit. A blender (national coach) on the other hand can only carefully select his ingredients and hit the GO switch. Here a coach has to work with his players in a short space of time, adapting the philosophy the players are used to. A perfect example is that of Spain. Do you think Vicente del Bosque would have imposed a defensive, long ball approach with Spain? Of course not. He allowed them to play according to the philosophy that they are used to: possession, possession, possession, and by doing this they have consecutively won the EURO 2008, World Cup 2010 and EURO 2012. An amazing feat by any standards.

Before I discuss the last coach for this read, I need you the reader that I solely base my selection on achievement. If you have won nothing you have no leg to stand on.

The last coach I am going to highlight is The Special One, Jose Mourinho. His rise to stardom did not come by chance. It was the result of intelligence, burning desire and a commitment over many years. After a spell as a youth coach in Portugal, he worked for a number of years under Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto and FC Barcelona. At Barcelona he also worked under Louis Van Gaal for four years. It was only then that he started his career as a head coach, starting with Portuguese outfit Leiria before moving to FC Porto the following season in January 2002. In The Special One’s two seasons at FC Porto, he had won the UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League, two Portuguese league titles, the Portuguese cup and Portuguese Super cup. When asked what steps were taken to become ‘The Special One’, he was quoted saying, “my first step was to study, the next was to develop young players and the third step was to work alongside a big coach at professional level.’’

Mourinho’s coaching philosophy has always been down to excellent man management and thorough tactical analysis. It was claimed that he had a dossier of opposition’s tactics/formations which was over 1500 pages long, and keeping in mind that was only for his opponents. His man management skills have influenced players to call him a father second to their very own, notably Didier Drogba at Chelsea. The Special One’s philosophy has never remained

constant in the style his teams have played. From a water tight defence in England, to scoring the most goals in the history of a La Liga season with Real Madrid, he has always adapted his style to that of the players at his disposal.

When the players think you are strong and that you trust them, it helps them to achieve success. To be a successful coach means to adapt and so too must our philosophy, you simply cannot use 20 year old ideologies in today’s modern game of football.

In conclusion, the philosophy that you decide must drive your decisions, it is what you base your decisions on. I have thought long and hard about my coaching philosophy and have come up with 4 key pillars – My team must always play with confidence, they must always be committed, they must always have self belief and lastly they should always be organized.

Again you might ask, why the heading ‘Italy will always make the final’, it is quite simple - they are committed, believe each other, are confident and are always organized.

Coach Ballotti - [email protected]

Art of Coaching with Coach Dino……..Italy will always make the finals

Dino Ballotti

Strip

Thru pass magazine august 2012

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Transcript of Thru pass magazine august 2012