Born in the historical garden town Okahandja on 7 November 1946, Cosky Ngaizuvare was groomed and carefully shaped for the big stage at Windhoek’s old location where the theme was ‘Survival of the Toughest’.
The strongly built young midfielder was a prominent squad member of African Stars second generation. Alumni of the Rhenisch Herero School, Ngaizuvare’s flawless football journey got off the ground at the slightly affluent St Andrews Elementary School for Baster/Coloured ‘Pikininis’, and few carefully selected dark skinned in-takes from well-to-do families.
“What actually transpired is that I was always in the habit of kicking around hardened tennis balls in the streets with boyhood buddies Mike and Nicholas Ruhonjo Ndjoonduezu just to while away time. We met and befriended football crazy Coloured boys from the neighbourhood,” narrated Ngaizuvare, who turned 78 yesterday.
“As fate would dictate, one of them was departed local socialite Andy Kloppers, who managed to smooth talk his old man Andrew Kloppers the school principal, to sanction our entry at the learning institution,” he said.
However, there was strong protest from some quarters within the tribally driven Coloured community advocating the boys’ expulsion because of their different skin pigmentation, which did apparently not match their ‘misplaced social standards’.
The school was strictly prohibited by law from taking in pupils from the native Bantu section. Luckily for Ngaizuvare, he and a pair of nephews were distant offspring of German descendants. The streetwise boys summoned their ancestral powers cunningly wangling their way away from the awaiting exit door.
The uncompromising ‘Kloppies’ ordered the trident in typical military fashion to bring their parents to the school so that it could be factually determined they were not Bantus. Unmoved by the imminent threat of exit, the wide-awake streetwise boys needed no second invitation proudly paraded their heavily light skin soft long haired ‘Zallies’ Elda von Kowsky (Ngaizuvare), and Kanuma Ndjoonduezu (Pack) for identity screening.
The madame passed the test hands down. As a result, the somewhat overly ambitious boys were given the green light to stay. Admittedly, both Elda and Kanuma displayed their unhidden pale hide genetics of authentic Deutsch lasses camouflaged in the Ovaherero traditional Victorian dresses.
As a result, the boys casually assumed the surnames of their German ancestors thus allowed to freely go about their daily routines unbothered, and as they say, the rest is history. During his illustrious football playing career stretching close to an uninterrupted decade rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest ‘footies’ to have ever donned the adorable red, white and blue strip of ‘Kaserandu’.
Handsomely gifted with a brilliant first touch and unbelievable close ball control the youngster was the envy of every football fan including opposing supporters. Even though he was not the fastest among his teammates, his vision and marvelous game reading complimented by his ability to open tight defences with his trademark splitting passes was a marvel to watch.
Additionally, he could strike the ball fairly well with both feet from range often weighing in with the odd goal. Ngaizuvare’s inevitable arrival at ‘Starlile’ coincided with the old location uprising when blacks dug their heels in the sand bravely challenging the forced removal in 1959.
Regrettably, a significant chunk of the team’s leading players found new shelter in the newly built Katutura residential area, while backtracked to their respective original habitats (reservat), leaving the squad gravely depleted.
‘Starlile’ was obligated to recruit new blood, and the fairly young attacking midfielder was hastily roped in and thrown in to lions’ den alongside other highly gifted youngsters; Rhoo Mbura, Hohova Ndisiro, Amos Tjombe, and Mike Pack.
Some of his notable celebrated teammates in the Reds squad were; Judah Kazonganga (d+), Tjatjitua Katjiteo (d+), Meundju Kakunde, Petrus Mazenge (d+), Chief Bertholdt Tjiundje, Ruhoonjo Pack (goalie d+), Ebson Kapuire, Chief Tumbee Tjombe (d+), Ripuree Hoveka (goalie), Attie Riruako, James Muundjua, (goalie d+), Hijambura Ndjahera, Chope Kauazunda (d+), Dawid Ndjoze (d+), Koviuana Katjivirue (d+), ‘Scage’ Kandjiriomuini (d+), Maihi Hei (d+), great ‘footies’ decorated with remarkable pedigree.