Katutura football club Orlando Pirates ruled domestic football with their exciting attractive style of play and near faultless display week in and week out, sweeping their opponents aside at will in the late seventies and early eighties.
The squad was laden with exceptional footballers and very few teams if any, in the business could match the Ghosts pound for pound in almost all departments, but the Buccaneers had two players in their star-studded squad who certainly did not inspire the confidence of the paying customers as a result of their limited ball artistry or natural skill. Both John ‘Yster’ Awarab and Matheus Namaseb, better known as ‘Ou Growwes’ in football circles were surely not in the same league as Lemmy Narib, Daniel Koopman, Izaak Gariseb, Bassieman Jimmy-Naruseb, Willem Eichab, Abel Nero or Michael Pienaar for that matter, but the pair had specific assignments to fulfill in the team. Lemmy and company took turns to rattle the opposition’s net randomly, while the usually calculating Bassieman spread killer passes across the field with the precision of a seasoned chemist and Abel Nero whirred like a possessed mosquito between the sticks. At the other end of the field, Ou Growwes, kept the opposition’s marauding strikers at bay with his fearless bone-crunching tackles that could send shivers running riot down the back of any hardened criminal. Many of the leading strikers in years gone by would generally not pull out of tackles, but the mere sight of Ou Growwes was enough to discourage troublesome and ambitious forwards from executing their tasks. They rather chose to keep a healthy distance from Ou Growwes and would shoot from the distance as they tried by all means to avoid any possible physical contact with the strongly built stocky fullback. Some of the finest goal poachers, the likes of Daito Hagedoorn, Tommy Uushona, Nerab Gariseb, Lemmy Lazarus, Zika Martin, Celle Auchumeb, Ben Kauejao, Pius Eigowab and Timo Mwetuyela all dreaded being placed in close proximity with Ou Growwes. New Era Sports finally caught up with the popular former municipal bus driver Ou Growwes in his adopted town Upington, South Africa, where he has peacefully settled down over the last 12 years. Despite his advanced age, the elegant dresser Ou Growwes, is still full of energy and animated as he relives his life on the football pitch and how weightlifting helped him to be on top of his game.
UPINGTON – When Orlando Pirates trotted onto the gravel B field at the old Katutura Stadium to confront an equally dangerous Namib Woestyn in a cup final that started in Keetmanshoop, football lovers were in for a treat with the best football clubs in action on that freezing Saturday afternoon.
The seasiders probably had the most adored strike force in the business led by sharp shooters Daito Hagedoorn, Haban Adams, Straal Auchumeb and Axarob Doeseb, but Pirates had their own secret weapon in the quartet of Daniel Koopman, Lemmy Narib, Willem Eichab and Michael ‘Ou Pine’ Pienaar. The match was preceded by ugly scenes with some of Namib Woestyn’s playing personnel entering the field of play with all sorts of dangerous sharp objects hidden in their socks expecting a violent showdown since the two clubs never saw eye to eye. Howver, all the trauma that preceded this eagerly awaited clash was temporarily forgotten, as both teams went about their business unhindered on the field with football emerging the ultimate winner on the day as Pirates went on to confirm their supremacy in domestic football with a fine display to silence the Doubting Thomases for good.
However, one man who stood head and shoulders above the rest on that particular day was Pirates’ hard tackling fullback, going by the name of Matheus Namaseb, also known as ‘Ou Growwes’, deriving from his unorthodox fashion through which he deprived marauding strikers from gaining any ball possession. Ou Growwes would take ages to bring an innocent looking ball under control with a simple touch, but where he lacked in the basics and finer points of the beautiful game – he made up with steady tackles and was quick off the mark, while his imposing presence intimidated many strikers. On hindsight Ou Growwes looked like somebody who would not even harm a fly, but was in reality the kind of footballer who instilled fear in his opponents way before kick-off. Ironically, and very much against what logic would dictate Ou Growwes proudly wore the revered No 10 jersey on his back, a number that was and is still reserved for the finest footballers in the squad and should have been the sole property of the club’s blue-eyed boy Lemmy Narib, in the case of Pirates.
Ou Growwes was born in Outjo, Kunene Region in 1945 and came to the city of lights in 1962 at the fairly advanced age of 17 at the invitation of his uncle. He was brought to Windhoek by his uncle Geiter Namaseb, the man who is accredited for having turned Pirates into a formidable outfit together with Namibia’s popular late saxophonist Leyden Naftalie in the 1970’s. He started out with the Pirates second strings, but later graduated to the first team as Pirates sought to stabilize their somewhat fragile rearguard. Ou Growwes was just what the good doctor had ordered for the Ghosts’ defense. Although there were still many rough edges to his football pedigree, the hard tackling lad was thrown into the thick of things as he teamed up with the equally robust Izaak ‘Whoops’ Gariseb in the heart of the Ghosts’ defense. He went on to enjoy unsurpassed success with Pirates as the Buccaneers made a clean sweep in countless knockout tournaments across the length and breadth of the country. Despite his scary frame on the football pitch Ou Growwes was a gentle giant who captured the imagination of dozens of beautiful lasses across the tribal divide.
After all, he was a muscular well-spoken fellow with the manners and mien of a gentleman and was always immaculately attired. Besides that Ou Growwes had a well paying job as a municipal bus driver and those who where lucky enough to be able to negotiate the sticks of a heavy-duty truck were in serious demand and the envy of many aspirant truck drivers in those days. “I have always enjoyed playing against African Stars because of the rivalry that existed between the two teams, but other than that I had a great relationship with many of the Otjihereo speaking folks,” reveals Ou Growwes. However, his fairytale journey on the football field was to be short-lived with the arrival of a young handsome centre-back from the southern part of the country, one Steve ‘Kalamazoo’ Stephanus. Also, domestic football was to take a dramatic turn with the inevitable introduction of multi-racial football and there was no place for bone-crunching tacklers in the modern game – so Ou Growwes had to give way. He did not despair however and kept himself busy with weightlifting during his leisure time alongside old buddy Lazarus ‘Bokkie’ Tsamaseb to while away time. Khorixas was his next stop where he briefly featured for local team Robber Chanties before he relocated to Oranjemund in search of greener pastures. The gentle giant returned to Windhoek, but soon left for Upington, South Africa via Karasburg in 2001 where he is currently domiciled after resolving to sign off his Namibian citizenship. Ou Growwes is happily married to his gorgeous wife Caroline Williams, who bore him a six-year old daughter Celina.
By Carlos ‘CK’ Kambaekwa