WHEN Tsumeb outfit Chief Santos FC descended on Windhoek to compete in a high-profile knockout tournament at the old Katutura Stadium in 1981, the green-and-orange strip lads from the Copper Town had football followers on the edge of their seats.
Apart from the canon-like shots from veteran striker Celle Auchumeb and the unmatched dribbling skills dished out by the enterprising Steps Nickel, Santos had assembled a good squad laden with highly talented young footballers from Cornelius Goreseb Secondary School in Khorixas.
The dangerous quartet of Pele Damaseb, Hannes Louw, Gottie Gurirab and Moses ‘Crooks’ Kasper, added flavour to an already well-oiled machine but it was the latter who caught the eye with his amazing pace and unbelievable nose for a goal.
Crooks announced his arrival in domestic football with a near faultless display as he spearheaded the Santos attack. The likable stocky winger tormented his markers at will operating on the right flank for Santos.
He was among very few local footballers who had never been able to fulfill their dream of representing their motherland in the prestigious South African Provincial Currie Cup Tournament, but Crooks can still take solace from the fact that his name will go down in the history of domestic football as a valuable member of the Black Africa Golden Generation in the mid-eighties.
In today’s edition, New Era Sport reflects on the life and exploits of Crooks that started way back in his hometown with Namib Woestyn en route to Black Africa via Robber Chanties and Chief Santos, including his countless battles with Hungry Lions’ robust defender, Godwin Muvangua, whom Crooks cautiously baptized ‘Roasted Chicken’.
WINDHOEK – Unlike many of his peers who started out in the lower league upon joining a top team, Crooks walked straight into the star-studded Black Africa first team and the speedy youngster was fortunate enough to rub shoulders with experienced campaigners led by Alpheus Gaweseb, Pius Eigowab, Hassie Mingeri, Five Hochobob, and Joseph Eiseb.
His arrival at BA coincided with that of many other gifted youngsters that included Rusten Mogane, Hannes Louw, Lucky Boostander, Mike Awaseb and Dawid Snewe.
Having started out his football career at boyhood team Namib Woestyn in Walvsis Bay, Crooks found himself playing competitive football when he joined forces with Robber Chanties while a student at the Cornelius Goreseb Secondary School in Khorixas.
It was at Khorixas where he met the late Dr Pele Damaseb, who together with another protégé Gottie Gurirab persuaded him to accompany them to Tsumeb to feature for Santos during weekends.
Crooks formed a deadly combination with the sharp shooting Pele Damaseb alongside veteran Santos striker Celle Auchumeb, as can be attested by the brutal fashion in which the trio destroyed their opponents during a knockout tournament in Windhoek.
The Copper Town lads were like men possessed and went on the rampage on that particular weekend sweeping teams aside and who would ever forget that memorable Sunday morning when Santos taught the much-fancied Orlando Pirates a decent football lesson in a replayed quarterfinal match that left football revelers fuming?
Supporters were still going through the turnstiles when Santos had already put the result to bed with three quick goals to set up a semifinal clash against Katutura glamour football club African Stars. Even though Santos’ fairytale run was brought to a premature halt via a defeat against Stars in the semifinal, the team from Tsumeb had certainly done enough to capture the imagination of football followers.
One player who stood head and shoulders above the rest was nonetheless Crooks and one particular club Black Africa took note of his immense talent. It did not take the Gemengde-based outfit long to get their prime target after having enlisted the charm of midfielder Hannes Louw to bring the speedy winger to the city of lights.
In no time, Crooks settled down in the BA set-up tormenting teams with his blistering runs down the right flank with the strongly built George Martin operating on the opposite flank. Crooks became an integral part of the all-conquering Black Africa outfit as the team made a clean sweep in many knockout tournaments across the length and breadth of the country prior to Namibia’s independence in 1990.
He benefited greatly from Lucky Boostander’s defence-splitting passes, which culminated in an avalanche of goals for BA. However, Crooks was never keen to face the now defunct Katutura-based giant slayers and Black Africa’s hoodoo team Hungry Lions FC.
Deployed at right wing, Crooks had to be alert at all times to evade the bone-crunching tackles wildly dished out by the late Hungry Lions defender one Godwin ‘Kauhetjii’ Muvangua, who he used to refer to as ‘Gebraaide Hoender’ (Roasted Chicken).
The late Muvangua was an uncompromising defender and tough tackler, who never believed in coming off second best and some of his victims included former Orlando Pirates gifted midfielder Ambrosiuss Vyff, whom he left sprawling on the turf in obvious pain at the Windhoek Show Grounds with a fractured collar bone after one of their many confrontations.
Crooks won almost anything that there was to win in domestic football but for some reason never managed to break into the South West Africa Currie Cup team to represent his native land in the prestigious South African Provincial Currie Cup Competition in neigbouring South Africa.
Other top class local footballers who can consider themselves very unlucky to have missed out on selection for the Currie Cup includes Juku Tjazuko, Koko Muatunga, Ben Kauejao, Immanuel Kamuserandu, Ritchie Steenkamp, Celle Auchumeb and Brazello Haoseb.
Crooks sent shockwaves among the local folklore when he jumped ship to join Black Africa’s traditional rivals Orlando Pirates, but the move turned out to be a nine-day wonder as he was already approaching the twilight of his once flourishing football career.
He relocated to Walvis Bay where he took up employment as a deckhand on the ship at his younger brother Hermanus’ fishing company until death struck in 2001. The easygoing likeable Crooks was involved in car accident near Usakos but never recovered sufficiently from the injuries suffered in the horrific accident and finally succumbed six months later. We salute this son of the soil, may his soul rest in eternal peace.
By Carlos ‘CK’ Kambaekwa