Windhoek
If you were a football fanatic and frustrated with the ongoing debacle as to whether domestic football will ever get underway in the absence of suitable sponsors for the country’s flagship league, please don’t despair.
Retired footballers from yesteryear are to unpack their togs for exhibition matches for the maiden edition of the newly introduced Khomasdal 5-kilometre fun walk and Community Football Cup at the Dawid Bezuidenhout field in Khomasdal, Windhoek on Saturday.
Local football fans can look forward to a humdinger of football activities as former footballers ready to take them down memory lane in a four-team mini tourney.
The stage is set for a mouth-watering line-up that sees the undisputed ‘Kings of the Night’, Young Ones Football Club renew their long-standing feud with neighbours and eternal rivals Civics.
Arguably the finest Coloured footballer of his generation after the late Ellen van Harte, former Young Ones and South West Africa (SWA) attacking midfielder Lance ‘Jakkals’ Willemse will lead the star-studded YO outfit, the implementers of carpet/possession football back in the day.
Other notable names include Makes du Plessis, Donkey Madjiet, Kosie Springbok, Dove Fransman, Jeffrey Bailey, Connie Mouton, Dean and Johnny Willemse, Reus Nortje, Ben Hendricks, Jacques Klaaste, Dan-Boy Ndjadila, Billy Tuahepa, Ritchie Steenkamp and Hokko Kasibu.
The Civilians also boast a formidable line-up of their own led by the legendary Brian Isaacs, Tiger Goagoseb, Kawinga Kaunozondunge, Ivory Uirab, Sittos Afrikaner, Jerry Zimmer, Ruben Prinz, Tollie van Wyk, Mike Peterson, Amos Shiyuka, Bassie English, Mac Camm, Golla van Staden, Seun Doeseb, and the Cloete siblings Jan and Willem (Oom Joep).
Proceeds from the gathering are earmarked to assist needy beneficiaries, and organizers have identified three former members of both clubs as chief recipients.
The trio of former Young Ones overlapping fullback Saul Waters, Mamietjie Engelbrecht (both with chronic illness) and the family of the late Civics and Brave Warriors defender Franklin April are the chief beneficiaries.
Although the ultimate aim of the event is to unite the Khomasdal community, event organizers also felt there was a dire need to assist those who have immensely contributed to the overall development of community projects in one way or the other.
“As members of the community, we felt obliged to assist our former colleagues in this time of need such as making financial contributions towards their heavy medical bills. April left three fairly young children behind with his fiancée Blanche Wimmerth and the Civilians extended a hand of goodwill towards the plight of their former player’s offspring,” said the organisers of the event.
Civics Old Boys confront the ‘Kings of the Night’ at 16h00 in what promises to be an exciting encounter as there is very little love lost between the two fallen Khomasdal giants. In other action, Omkalo Eleven and Dahilia FC go toe to toe at 16h30 in the main match.
Narraville-based Pirates and Redsa Masters (Rehoboth) open the proceedings in the curtain raiser at 15h00 sharp.
The bumper programme gets underway at midday with Under-10’s and 15’s boys grilling each other on the football pitch to spice up the one-day sports extravaganza.
Entry fee for the fun walk is a paltry N$20. Charity pledge boxes will be located at various parts of the venue for people to make donations and pledges. For more information contact Jerry Zimmer@081 28117 82 or Lance Willemse@0814984134.