Born and raised in Namibia’s commercial hub Windhoek, young ‘Chorra’ was certainly destined for greatness from the word go, coming from a well to do family with strong morals and principals. Though his old man, Festus, leaning more towards assuring his offspring are equipped with proper wisdom academically, the streetwise ‘Chorra’, somehow managed to juggle his precious time between books and football duties.
Well, never mind his well decorated background and decent upbringing, Bro ‘Chorra’ was just like many other young boys his age in the neighbourhood, football crazy. He would sneak few ‘juffies’ to kick around a football at the slightest provocation. The fast as lightning petit defender was introduced to playing the game in organised competitive structures when he joined Katutura outfit Hungry Lions Football Club.
Interestingly, the ‘Brave Lions of Judah’ used to conduct their training sessions in close proximity to Chorra’s residence, holed up in Maroela, Katutura.
The football crazy boy made it solely to pop up and announced at the Lions’ makeshift training ground under the fabricated gesture of being an innocent volunteer ball-boy, willingly collecting and retrieving stray balls from the nearby bushes.
However, it was not long before the stocky fullback started to participate in serious training sessions, surprising everybody with his robust style of play and unbelievable energy. ‘Chorra’ impressed the technical staff and was eventually registered as a recognised squad member, erasing any lingering doubts about his football ability.
He made his debut for the Lions in a few cameo roles as a late substitute but nevertheless did enough to nail down a spot in the Lions’ starting eleven. The energetic, tireless defender immediately established himself as a vital cog in the Lions’ traditional unbreakable rearguard, dislodging some of the club’s stalwarts from the pedestal.
A highly gifted, versatile athlete, Bro ‘Chorra’ could play in any position on the field bar goalkeeping as his fairly restricted height would unfortunately not meet the requirement to shift between the sticks. The overlapping fullback tasted the sacred waters of Inter-Provincial football when selected to represent his motherland at the South African Inter-Provincial Youth Cup in neighbouring South Africa in 1985.
Some of his celebrated teammates in the squad were: Willem Cloete, Ringo Skrywer, Bimbo Tjihero, Brian Isaacs, Mario Carreira, Nelson Luis, Lucky Iyambo, Dennis Hatuikulipi, and a few other young boys of remarkable pedigree.
At club level, the pocket sized defender continued to shine in a well-oiled squad that consisted of young, vibrant footballers made up of midfield kingpin Jeff Tjitemisa, Hafeni ‘Teenage’ Mwashekele, Tomaro Izaaks, Justice Basson, Rudolf Xevele Muriame, Ringo Skrywer, Barry Rukoro, Kabasa Tjikusere, veteran centre backs Hauii Kamaundju and the evergreen Bro Shakes Kandenge.
However, his promising football career came to an abrupt end when he joined a group of dispirited young boys who had had enough of racial discrimination and resolved to skip the land of their forefathers and foremothers in search of greener pastures and better opportunities elsewhere in the academic space.
The boys found refuge in Botswana and were kept in refugee camps before being dispatched further abroad to explore better educational opportunities overseas. Bro ‘Chorra’ wasted little time as he joined forces with the local leading outfit, Botswana Police Eleven.
The diminutive fullback-cum-defensive-midfielder was an integral part of the team’s spine, dishing out some impressive performances. He marshalled the team’s defence with maturity way beyond his rookie tag. The energetic, tough tackling Namibian versatile footie warmed himself into the hearts and soul of the usually hard to please club’s supporters.
What made his lodging more enjoyable was the fact that ‘Chorra’ was surrounded by some of his homeboys in the shape of calculated, versatile centre back Rasta Mbuende, and the highly gifted midfield maestro Ngororo ‘Hijamaori’ Katiko. May his soul continue to rest in ancestral power.
Re-baptised ‘Chorra’, shortened for ‘Shorty’, by his adoring senior teammates from the close knit family of the ‘Brave Lions of Judah’, Bro ‘Chorra’ enjoyed iconic status amongst his peers. Tellingly, the hard as nails defender was often the go-to man whenever the going got tough.
A Jack of all trades, off the pitch, the now retired fearless pocket sized defender has turned his hand to the advancement of cultural and traditional awareness for his community. He is a staunch supporter of the uncompromising Ovaherero Paramount Chief Professor Mutjinde Katjiua.
The brother has undertaken to vigorously and unapologetically advocate for restorative justice amidst the cold blooded mass killing of the Nama, Ovaherero, Damaran and San ethnic groups, as a result of the globally reported Genocide order on the instructions of notorious illegal German settler Lothar von Trotha.