Once hailed as the next big thing in Namibian football, striker Isaskar Gurirab is steadily regaining his form in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.

He now plies his trade with Simbha Bhora.

The 27-year-old Namibian forward left coastal side Blue Waters earlier this year to join the ambitious Zimbabwean outfit.  Since the start of the 2025 league season, Simbha Bhora has played five matches, with Gurirab featuring in three of them, and already getting on the scoresheet twice.

Speaking about his experience so far, he said the level of competition in Zimbabwe has been an eye-opener. “The league is very physical and competitive, but that’s what makes it exciting. It’s always great to test yourself in different environments and grow as a player. I am really enjoying the challenge, and just hoping to hit top form soon to help the team win more matches,” he stated.

Currently, Simbha Bhora sits sixth on the 18-team log with eight points from five games. 

League leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars top the standings with 13 points from the same number of fixtures.

Born in Uis, a small mining town in Namibia’s Erongo region, Gurirab grew up idolising South African giants Orlando Pirates. 

Despite an unsuccessful trial with the Soweto club early in his career, he bounced back with stints at Golden Bees in Outjo and later Life Fighters.

This is where he truly burst onto the scene.

His breakthrough came during the 2018/19 Namibia Premier League season when he scored an astonishing 22 goals in 24 matches, earning both the Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot awards. 

Life Fighters finished fifth that season, a remarkable feat powered largely by Gurirab’s clinical finishing.

His exploits earned him a trial with Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi, a club in Morocco’s top-flight Botola League. 

However, injury derailed his progress. 

He returned home to eventually sign for Orlando Pirates Windhoek during the inaugural Namibia Premier Football League season. 

He immediately made an impact, leading the early goal-scoring charts with eight goals, including five in his first two games.

Gurirab made his senior international debut for Namibia in the 2019 COSAFA Cup, coming on in a narrow loss to Malawi. 

Just two days later, he found the net twice in a convincing 3-0 win over Seychelles, showcasing his potential on the regional stage. 

To date, he has earned 12 caps for the Brave Warriors, and scored two goals. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na