POLITICAL HISTORY OF SOCCER IN NAMIBIA: AFRICA’S PERFORMANCE and NAMIBIA’S CHANCES OF QUALIFYING FOR THE WORLD CUP BARRING THE NEGATIVE ELEMENTS OF TRIBALISM UNDER SPOTLIGHT
By Cde. Seth Mataba Boois

All countries around the world has, by its nature and colonial background, a political history behind it.

From the just ended World Cup in South Africa, it is clear that Football is a huge sport involving national and International politics. It has the power to create peace or even war. Yes, El Salvador and Hunduras went to war in 1969, quarrelling violently as to who should play in the World Cup and trouble riddled, earth quake destroyed Haiti came to a total standstill when the superstars of Brazilian National team visited that country amidst infighting about who should rule. Going forward, Rinaldo, Ronadilho,and Rivaldo (The famous 3-rrr’s) and others, brought peace and calm and the rivaling factions could sat down in peace.

Just like the bygone era of the Wonderful Easter-weekend tournaments (1960 -1989) in Tsumeb, World Statesmen, including President Hifekepuyne Pohamba, were at the opening ceremony while the African political Icon, Nelson Mandela, blessed the closing ceremony with his presence! So we agree it its political game that has produced the likes of Nillo Taapopi and the late freedom fighter Danger Ashipala, who played for Eleven Arrows F.C. before he went into exile, becoming one of the most iconic plan fighter and commander. And yes, Mistake Gaomab and Brave Tjizera were all noted sportsmen before the eventually became noted guerilla fighters with Plan. These and countless other people made it possible for Namibians to enjoy the fruits of Independence.

But the question uppermost at the minds of countless Africans and those in Diaspora whether the performance of Africans at the world cub was good or bad. Our Detractors are saying, as usual, “look, I told you so”, usually it’s the same people, those who stripped the mother continent of all its riches, taking the most able into slavery to whom are we now referring as ‘Africans in Diaspoa’!

Nevertheless, my own analysis is that South Africa did well sending France home without a win! Now some arm-chair football analysts in the Liberal English Newspapers, here and abroad, are saying that the performance of Africans was a mediocrity. Well, the struggle for the liberation of our country started small and grew beyond imagination and this is what these people are forgetting. Similarly, after years of coached by deceiving coaching by Europeans, Africans finally discovered the best way forward. In addition, these critics don’t even say a word about the incredibly poor performance by Italy, the holder of the World Cup before South Africa 2010, end bottom of the table in their Group!

Let it be known that the people of the African continent and those in Diaspora will celebrate any small victory. When Algeria forced a draw against England in South Africa, it was certainly cause for celebration. This country endured years of hardship fighting a bloody battle to liberate their country. Their leader Ben-Bella assisted Nelson Mandela in the early 1960’s to be trained as Guerilla Fighter, leading to the establishment of Unkhonto We Sizwe,(The spear of the nation), leading to a free South Africa, now enjoyed also be former brutal white oppressors! From that point of view, Algeria did well, period!

Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Nigeria, admittedly did not well and that’s why their leaders wanted to ban the team from further participation, only to be intimidated by FIFA. Now, this is some news. FIFA is such a bully that it causes countries to change their laws instantly. You see, if there is Government interference, FIFA threatens or actually ban an individually country from participation. Now, these countries pay in the first place for their participation and should find a way to express dissatisfaction. This is after all tax-payers money. Nevertheless, the Nigerian Football Association got the message!

But Ghana did exceptionally well at that level. You see, France and Italy, both former World Cup winners, did not even make it into the last sixteen after the group stage and here was Ghana, outplaying Urugauy (Twice Former World Cup winner) in all respects. England hardly made it into the last sixteen. We, the humble followers of Pan Africanism, know that Ghana has made us proud and it is time for celebrations in African! Now, lets come back home, to Namibia and ask ourselves about the prospects of qualifying for the world Cup!

Assuming, wildly indeed, that Namibia was a free member of the International Community in the 1970’s, Our country would have a real chance of qualifying. This is the era which produced the top players in World Football. My best bet is that for the 1974 World Cup Finals hosted by West-Germany, still divided into East & West Germany, we would have top, experienced, talented players to qualify.

The likes of Hubert Mootseng, Bonnetti (“The Cat”), Pele Blascke (The best attacking, goals-creating & scoring player of his generation), Lemi /Narib, Singa father of Smithly Engelbrecht. Ranca Lucas,Albert Louw (Propably the best attacking midfielder of 1970-79), Pius Eigowab, Selle Aukhumeb, Oscar Mengo, Brazello, Gabes Dausab, Doc Hardley (A Genius on his day), Frans Ochurub, Hasso Ahrens, Bobby Cradock, The Great Gaika, Bethuel, Annanias !Nanuseb,Five Hochobeb, Ferdinand Golden Namubeb Willy, the portugues Ruby and many many others led by Willem Hans would have taken us to Germany.

The Post Independence generation led by “captain fantastic” in the form of Bimbo Tjihero would have, given a fair, non-tribalist chance, qualified for the 2002 in Korea and Japan. This group destroyed the Jomo Sono coached Bafafa-Bafana at the Independence Stadium, fair and square. Then that team went to Burkino Faso for the 1998-African Cup of Nations, representing of course Namibia and turned the football loving African masses to support them. Unfortunately, upon their return from the African Showpiece, all hell of tribalism broke loose in some tribal quarters. They started to say the team is full of “Gorasebs, /Goagsebs and Harasebs, !Uri-Khobs, Nausebs, Ousebs” meaning Damara players in the National Team! Not to mention the Mannettis, Witbeens etc.

Of course, there is no denying that tribalism was a permanent feature of the Namibian Society, especially before independence. But the Liberation movement (Swapo) succeed, to a very large extent, to kill tribalism. However, due to Apartheid laws and Municipal by-laws such as ‘Prevention/Conrol” of movement/tress-passing and other Pass related dragonian laws (Instromings-beheer), people were confined to only play in their tribal locations.

At the same time, other groups also deliberately organized tribal tournaments such as the Otjiherero Tournament played annually exclusively only by them in Otjiwarongo. I got the shock of my life around 1974 when I was on my way with my grandfather to hunt down game. Ever since we were booted out of the Parasib Mountains, one of the original permanent settlements of the #Nu-khoi, today commonly known as Damaras, we always hunted, without license of course. We had to pass the river near the soccer field to get to hunting fields on the land confiscated from our ancestry long time ago!

That’s when I became aware of an ongoing tournament and upon further inquiry, I was told that it was exclusively for the Otjiherero players! With the permission from my grandfather, I went watching while he took out his pipe for a smoke under the nearest tree with our donkies. After watching for good quarter of the day, I came to the conclusion that there were only four excellent players while the rest were contributing players! There was this guy called ‘’Hippy”, very prominent in carrying the ball, dribbling with ease and finding his team mates with wonderful touches. Then there was Gaika in a supportive role, very flamboyant, both of them and Kiri at the back, all from African Stars. Whenever ‘Hippy’ got the ball, the crowd, all Otjiherero speaking, went wild with praises. This player I later identified in the course of my football career as non other than Oscar Mengo!

Another player which attracted my attention was Puiri, playing for Flames F.C. There were also other teams such as Black Beauty Chiefs (Okahandja), Scorpions (Omaruru), Red Fires (Walvisbay) full of tall, boxing-like players who were like BMC of Otjiwarongo, wanting to fight every opportunity! There was also Life Fighters with the hot left wing “Tipp Tipp” and Jaeze who could play all position. All 6-Damara teams were not invited and Dodges (now Silent Kilers) of Oshivambo-Tjimbundu background were not invited – conversely whenever there were games over weekends, Life Fighers F.C. were never ecxcluded! But the tournament was played in a beautiful, carnival like atmosphere which BMC would have turned into a big drama, violent thing, win or loose! But BMC had also very good players and ‘Hippy’ was, according to my humble analysis, comparable to Ice Namubeb, who turned the tables on Kaizer Eleven in 1969, leading 3-1 during the first 45-minutes…which later turned into a nightmare for them!

When I rejoined my history minded grand-father for hunting and shared the news of the tournament, my grandfather informed me that it was a tournament of ”Omakuras”. People who were circumcised, according to cultural dictates, at the same time. They grow up together, play together and plan together. For example, according to my grandfather, if you happen to have an argument with one of them, the others are watching, waiting on the wings to support their “Omakura”. “They support each other in all respect, the old man said as we rode on our donkies looking for game! That tournament has since been relocated to Windhoek.

I, to this day, am in awe of that concept of “Omakura!” It is a wonderful concept that could have advance and did advance the the cause of Namibia’s Liberation. You see, the English gave the world football as a world sport, if the concept of “Omakura” would be given to at least all Namibians, the way all whites are standing together irrespective of whether being an English, Scottish, German and the like, we would be saying, ”Let us live winning”! Thus, qualifying for the world cup will be so much easier and the best will represent us all in the same way boxer are doing without tribal jealousy and given the talent in Namibia, qualification for the world cup will be a foregone conclusion.

The Namibia Football Association can learn from the greater meaning of “Omakura” even though that tournament has been relocated to Windhoek. It is no use for the NFA President, Mr. John Muinjo, to invite the German Fussball Bond and only to be accompanied by his fellow Otjiherero speakers to the talks. Football is a national sport and should be seen as such because it belongs to all of us in the final analysis! And only then will it be possible for Namibia to qualify for the World Cup in the future. NBC must also come right and guard against broadcasting Tribal tournaments as ‘National Tournaments.’ For example, John Muinjo allowed a Tribal Tournament to take place in Okakarara, invited the NBC via the Otjiherero speaking Producer as well as, to top it all, the National Coach was present. Moreover, the Otjiherero speaking Chiefs were present at the ‘Herero-Cup’ Hand-over ceremony! Yet the same is not done for tribal areas in Kavango and or Caprivi, let alone Southern Namibia. If the NFA boss is doing this for one tribal group as a national leader of football in Namibia, he should do it for all the other tribes.

But all is not lost because the ideal of ‘’One Namibia, One Nation” is a desire for us to shed tribalism and exclusivity while embracing oneness and inclusive approach.