Rudolf Gaiseb
“My mother claims I started playing football in her womb and when I was kicking, my father would always shout, ‘Goal’”.
This is what 14-year-old Martinico Geanu Green narrated when asked when he started playing football.
Green’s football career started in first grade as a goalkeeper in the dusty streets of Rehoboth.
As opposed to his peers, Green is home-schooled at Rehoboth Tutor Centre so that he can have enough time to play football and focus on his schoolwork.
“It helps that I am home-schooled because I have more time for training,” he added.
When he was nine years old, Green joined Sports Klub Windhoek (SKW).
“I arrived at SKW as a goalkeeper, but the coaches advised that I play as a midfielder, the position I play now.
He attributes his talents to his father, who is also a former footballer. “The apple does not fall far from the tree. My father’s love for the game was passed down to me. It is our thing, as father and son,” Green said
As he started to pick up experience at SKW, Green was selected to travel to England when he was 13 years old under the invitation of the MD Football Academy, and played in the U/13 YSE Champions Cup tournament.
MD Football Academy faltered in the quarterfinals.
“As a child, it was always a dream to play in England at 16 years of age, but I made it at 13,” Green said.
In 2023, Green trained with Queens Park Rangers Academy in England before playing in the YSE tournament again in the same country.
The MD Academy team encompassed younger players compared to the previously selected team, and unfortunately lost the second YSE tournament as well.
Green was selected among five players by an Arsenal scout, and had a chance to train in England. But he couldn’t join a club as he did not have residency in that country. Luckily, the opportunity is still on the table for him to go for trials in the near future.
This year, Green signed a contract to play for Rehoboth’s ‘Friends FC’, a second division team. This is the same club Green’s father used to play for.
During the 2024 Namibian Newspaper Cup tournament, Green represented his region, Hardap. They were eliminated in the knock-out stages of the competition.
He showcased spectacular skills in dribbling and attacking, persistently trying to take his team to the finals, but unfortunately they did not do well enough.
“I aspire to perfect my craft as a player and get as much exposure as possible, as well as to be an effective team player, and add value to the teams I am playing for.
“In the long-term, my dream is to play internationally, most particularly in England. But that does not mean I am not open to other leagues; I am available,” he added.