Otniel Hembapu
WINDHOEK – It has been a few weeks of misfortune for Namibian footballers plying their trade in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL), with news coming from across the Orange River confirming that Brave Warriors former first-choice goalkeeper Virgil Vries have been offloaded by Baroka FC.
Vries, who has earned a remarkable 30 caps with the Brave Warriors, was recently named among eight other players that Baroka FC’s management resolved to cut ties with and the 29-year-old Namibian’s next destination is not yet certain at this point.
The other players that Baroka released are Lewis Macha, Khutso Mohwatseleng, Mzwanele Mahashe, Punch Masenamela, Rethabile Soso, Robin Ngalande, Rhulani Sidumo and Lucky Nguzana, according to South Africa’s leading football magazine KickOff.com.
Vries, who started off his career at Fedics United before joining coastal giants Eleven Arrows in the Namibian Premiership, joined Baroka last year on a two-year deal from Maritzburg United, where he had spent over five seasons, before parting ways with the club at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Born in Namibia’s southern town of Keetmanshoop, Vries joined South African club Golden Arrows in 2011 from Eleven Arrows, signing a three-year contract. A November 2011 blunder that saw him turn the ball into his own net against Amazulu gained worldwide attention and brought disgrace to the club, and in January 2012, he was loaned out to Carara Kicks FC, in that country’s second division.
But later in the same year, Vries returned home and joined forces with local giants Orlando Pirates on a short-term contract, before embarking on another mission across the Orange River this time joining Maritzburg United in January 2013, where he stayed until his departure to Baroka last year. Still in the South African Premiership, Namibian international defender, Larry Horaeb, has also been released by club Highlands Park, which recently regained promotion to that country’s top tier league.
Horaeb, who also played for South African outfit Amazulu between 2013 and 2015, joined Highlands last season as a free agent but unfortunately; he did not enjoy much game time at Highlands. KickOff.com reported that he was released along with a horde of other players, which the club deemed surplus to requirements.