WINDHOEK – Bra Abes grew up in a small town holed up in the eastern part of Namibia, going by the name of Gobabis, better known as the Cattle Country, a place where cattle breeding and farming dominate most conversations among local folk.
He made a name for himself as a no-nonsense tough tackling centre back with Eastern Chiefs – stopping marauding strikers right in their tracks. His defensive qualities caught the eye of Windhoek clubs but it was Black Africa who lured the speedy defender to their nest.
The fast-galloping mob-haired striker, whose looks resembled that of the famous Jackson Five siblings, found himself in the company of his look-alikes Stu Damaseb, Albert and Hannes Louw as well as boyhood buddy Atab Wermann in the star-studded Black Africa line-up.
His arrival at the Gemengde-based outfit coincided with that of a horde of highly talented young footballers that included mercurial midfielder Joseph ‘Mombakkies’ Eiseb, who made life much easier for the raw speedy forward whose primary assignment was to put the ball in the net.
Bra Abes formed a telepathic partnership with burly winger George Martin and twin striker Bernard ‘Hassie’ Mingeri.
On a few occasions, Bra Abes would be paired with Crooks Casper, spearheading the Gemengde-based outfit attack with Hannes Louw, Rusten Mogane, Safe Kuruseb and Moms Eiseb supplying the ammunition – much to the chagrin of the opposition.
During his infant years on the football pitch, Bra Abes started out as a formidable defender with Epako outfit Eastern Chiefs in his native Gobabis. Ironically, one of his team-mates at Chiefs was none other than boyhood buddy acrobatic shot stopper, Atap Wermann, who was to become the last line of defence at his new club BA. In those days, Black Africa used to frequently visit Gobabis for exhibition matches against local teams and on one such occasion, the Gemengde-based outfit came up against Eastern Chiefs. Bra Abes was a robust and speedy defender and the usually deadly BA strikers could not penetrate the Chiefs rearguard as a result of Abes’ imposing presence.
Strikers were just unable to beat or outrun him in their bid to score goals and upon Black Africa’s return from the Cattle Country, word of Abes’ impressive defensive qualities soon reached the ears of the wide-awake scouts from Black Africa in the city of lights (Windhoek).
Club management felt obliged to put their shoulder to the wheel and persuade the speedy defender and his boyhood buddy Atap Wermann to join the BA nest.
In fact, the club engaged Abes’ old man, Ou Willibard Thlabanello, a founding member of Black Africa. A shrewd businessman, the late uncle Willibardt managed to sweet talk his sibling and Atab to relocate to the city of lights and join forces with the Gemengde-based outfit.
However, bra Abes was converted to a striker as the team had enough quality defenders in its armoury. He found himself surrounded by a horde of highly gifted footballers with the bulk recruited from St Joseph’s Secondary School (Dobra) – the unofficial school of excellence – football-wise.
He was tasked to use his speed and robust style of playing to the maximum so that he could score an avalanche of goals. It was not long before the improvised speedy forward started to bang in goals at will like they were going out of fashion.
Bra Abes became a prolific striker and would score a goal almost in each and every match helping Black Africa to become a major force to be reckoned with in domestic topflight football.
He went on to enjoy unsurpassed success with BA where he rubbed shoulders with some of the finest footballers in the business that included midfield general, Moms Eiseb, Hannes and Albert Louw, George Martin, Xarab Gariseb, Five Hochobeb, John van Wyk, Rusten Mogane, Hassie Mingeri, Stu Damaseb, Corrie Uri-Khob, Safe Kuruseb and August Gaeb,
Having won almost everything there was to be won in domestic football, Bra Abes hung up his togs and retreated to his hometown Gobabis where he was an astute businessman. He became a successful commercial farmer and had business outlets in the town that included a nightclub in the posh coloured residential area Nossobville.
Despite retiring from active football, Bra Abes always had a soft spot for his beloved BA and was closely involved with his former club. He contributed financially and in kind whenever the need arose and would at times come to the club’s rescue without being requested to assist. Whenever Black Africa visited Gobabis for official matches, notably cup games or exhibition matches, the club was accommodated at his farm. The last visit by the club to his farm was during the Bidvest Cup knockout cup matches in April last year.
The untimely departure of Bra Abes has not only robbed Black Africa of a staunch pillar of strength and support and an inspiring person, but the entire Namibian sports fraternity has lost a true son of the soil.
Paying their last respects to a departed hero, the club says it will always take solace from the fact that Bra Abes was part and parcel of the group of outstanding athletes who set the benchmark that led to the astronomical success of the Black Africa brand.