Kazanga Joshua
This season’s Debmarine Namibia Premiership has started like a house on fire. Possibly, the addition of Eeshoke Chula Chula to the campaign has brought an immense sense of euphoria to many local football lovers around the country beyond expectations. Stadiums have been filled to the rafters throughout the country, and of course, no conscious person can forget the masses at the Hage Geingob stadium when African Stars played against Eeshoke Chula Chula.
One man has made the stage his own, and that is Willy “General” Stephanus. Of late, wherever and whenever he plays, he simply floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. A nightmare to the opponents and his name brings terror even to the most revered defenders in the league. Last season, he scored 20 goals and assisted 15 times in 30 games. That is 35 goals contributions in 35 games, in a season in which African Stars were almost invisible as they were crowned champions with just a single loss against the stubborn Blue Waters. This season, Willy has started even much better. Everything that he has touched, has simply turned to gold. He currently has scored 11 goals in nine games. A remarkable fit for an outstanding player who arguably has been the best player of this season so far. Willy, of course, has good experience as he has played in South Africa, Finland, Thailand and Zambia. Also, he was part of the Namibian side that won the Cosafa Cup in 2015 which brought immense joy and honour to Namibia.
However, this year, the outstanding player was left in deep sorrow when coach Collin Benjamin overlooked him for the national team selection due to his age. Despite being in the form of his life, the player is deemed too old to assist his country. He is, by the way, 32 years old, and ironically, he’s aging like fine wine. The scenario of him being left out of the national team brings agony to football fans across the country. Imagine the best player in the country not making it to the national team. Plus, when I spoke to him during the post-match interview after their Julinho Sporting game in Rundu, the player noted that quitting the national team was “an emotional decision”, and he is ready to play for the national team if called. But if the coach doesn’t select him, he’ll respect the coach’s decision, he noted. I deeply respect Collin Benjamin’s discernment, but here he probably must reconsider. The best player in the league must be part of the national team, period. If, however, the “age” reason was a euphemism for something deep that made the coach overlook the player, then, the coach should probably counsel the man, rather than cancel the man. But let’s hope it’s not in that regard. The national team is set to play for the World Cup qualifiers imminently, and then the Afcon next year in January. For the Afcon, Namibia is in Group E with giants Tunisia, Mali and South Africa. If anything, the team needs the services of the best players in Namibia, and Willy has been one.
*Kazanga Joshua is a sports analyst and social commentator from the Kavango East region.