Zebaldt Ngaruka
OZOMBOUVAPA – Former African Stars player Vemuna Supii Hoveka said sharing the bench with coaches from top clubs in the country will make his coaching dream a reality.
Earlier this year, he attended the Introductory Course of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) in the capital to fuel his dream.
New Era Sports desk caught up with the legendary player from the Epukiro constituency who shed light on his coaching, his football career and his views on the development of football in the country.
Hoveka (55) is currently the head coach of Otjimanangombe Sports Club, and is an assistant coach of the Epukiro Secondary School (SS) first football team.
Otjimanangombe’s football team is one of the most-decorated teams in Epukiro, and played in many Namibia Rural Sports Development Federation tournaments, with some accolades under its name.
The Epukiro SS is also a formidable force among the Omaheke region’s schools, where it won several competitions under the guidance of Hoveka as well.
While attending the coaching course, his love for football and children is one of the key attributes that triggered him to invest more time in the sport he dearly loves.
The former formidable defensive player, known for his strong heading abilities and tackling skills, is a firm believer that “a child in sport is a child out of court” because it teaches them discipline.
He said discipline enables children to persevere with their decisions and plans until they accomplish them.
“Everybody knows that I am a man of football I sacrificed a lot for football, and at 55, I am still active on the pitch, even more than some young players here,” he said.
Hoveka played as a central defender, and is positive that the introductory course will allow him to coach the young ones.
“Who knows, perhaps this is the gateway for other high-level coaching courses that will put me on par with needed requirements to coach at the top level,” he said.
The African Stars legend added that he still needs to do level A, B, C, etc., and view that the vision looks promising. At the moment, he doesn’t mind sitting on the bench of any top team in the country to gain more knowledge and experience.
Though he didn’t feature for the then ‘Suid Wes Span’, which is equivalent to the national team, Hoveka received regular call-ups for the shadow team called President Eleven.
“The country was full of talent, and it was tough to play in the national team during the apartheid era. But I am happy that I was noticed by the selectors of that time,” said Hoveka.
To play in the then top-flight league, the Epukiro-based player was scouted by the late Ben Kaurikarera Uanivi at Okakarara Secondary School in Otjozondjupa region, and joined Hungry Lions FC, which was one of African Stars’ rivals in 1987.
“Hungry Lions are the only team I played for besides African Stars, and it was a battle to leave them for Stars due to the rivalry of that time,” he said.
He joined African Stars in 1988 when Hungry Lions were relegated from the top league, and his move to Stars was a mountain to climb, as the two teams were not eating from the same plate.
“It was through the good leadership of Stanley Kozonguizi and Oscar Mengo, who negotiated with Hungry Lions for my move,” he remembered.
At African Stars (1988 – 2000), Hoveka played with some of the country’s top players in the names of Collin Katitja Usurua, Tse-tse Nerumbu, Zico Tjazerua, Nico Hindjou, Juku Tjazuko and Bernard Newman, among others.
Asked about the opponents who gave him tough times on the field, he was quick to mention the late Lucky Richter and Dawid Fellah Snewe, both of Black Africa.
“May Lucky’s soul Rest in Peace’, he was a fast and speedy player who was able to score in the blink of an eye. Snewe was strong, powerful, and always had scoring boots on,” said the former defending player.
Hoveka achieved a lot with African Stars, won the league twice, had many domestic cup competitions, and also won many medals.
“We even played in the African Championship in Zaire (now DRC), and that was one of my career highlights, considering the conditions the state of our football was in,” he recalled.
His memorable game for Stars was the semifinal clash against Civics in the Castle Classic Cup competition played at Oshakati Stadium in 1994, where Civics was leading by a single goal.
Hoveka scored an equaliser in the dying minutes of the match, and Stars went on to win the game 4-3 on penalties.
“It was one of my best games as I scored from the corner-kick cross with the header in the game that we were about to lose,” remembered the former central defender, who also played at both right and left- back positions.
Hoveka’s sport talent was transferred to his offspring as his son Ten-Ten Kuhanga played for Life Fighters in the premier league before his departure to the United Kingdom.
“My other son Mekere Ndjoze Hoveka is playing academy football while his sister Kasukoo Hoveka is a renowned netball player for Namibia Correctional Service,” he said.
This publication also asked him to compare today’s playing standard and that of yesteryear, where he said they played under difficult circumstances and conditions.
“During our time, everything was difficult, starting from facilities. But today’s fields are well taken care of. The coaching staff in our years were just anybody, which is not the case today,” he said.