Yours truly has been watching and following local football teams with an eagle eye since the late sixties whilst hardly out of my pair of shorts matched by a cheap pair of Bata tekkies.
In all honesty, back in the day both Tigers and Orlando Pirates were the envy of every football follower because of the exciting brand of football they dished out week in and week out at their fortress, the now dismantled Katutura stadium.
And whereas “Ingwe” had a left-footed chirpy going by the name of Times Mwetuyela, flanked by Ferdinand Akwenjye and Sebulon “Honnie” Ochurub in their firing line – the “Ghosts” had the most lethal strike force in the business spearheaded by the one and only Ishmael “Lemmy Special” Narib, Michael “Ou Pine” Pienaar and the terrible twins Daniel Koopman and Willem Eichab.
The “Ghosts” were always amongst the leading title contenders and always produced great footballers as can be attested by the large representation in the victorious South West Africa (SWA) Blacks Invitational Eleven that won the biannual South African Inter-Provincial Impala Cup in Johannesburg, in 1974.
The five member Buccaneers contingent in that travelling entourage were led by skipper Steve Stephanus, Ambroisus Vyff, Willem Eichab, Doc Hardley and agile goalie Japhet Hellao.
Prior to that, Pirates would always supply the bulk of players for representative teams be it Central and provincial invitational sides, with the likes of Nana Gaoseb, Lemmy, Japhet, Ou Pine, Abel Nero, Norries, Big Man, Alu, Vyff, Brian Greaves, Gawarib and Ben Gaseb always in the mix of things.
Now, this brings us to conduct a bit of retrospection, truth be told, Orlando Pirates have not been able to replicate their former self or make any meaningful contribution towards the national football team, the Brave Warriors, over the last couple of years.
Neither has the team won any silverware for a considerable period given the club’s pedigree. Pirates is a team boasting a stinking rich history and deserves to be treated and reciprocated as such. It’s a well-documented secret and understandable that in the modern day, football clubs can no longer survive without sustainable financial backing from good Samaritans.
Fair enough, but alas potential financial backers or investors should first acquaint themselves properly with the clubs’ culture and modus operandi.
As it stands, some of these fly-by-night investors are dismally failing the clubs big time, demonstrating a total lack of respect and sensitivity towards the inner feelings of the team’s followers.
Needless to emphasise that the mighty Orlando Pirates have been literally thrown another lifeline with news that the Katutura giants would no longer face the drop to the lower tier division as a result of a technicality.
All thanks to the godly sent intervention by the NC under the guise of Fifa. By the way, what would the domestic football league be without the presence of Pirates?
Nonetheless, the author hopes and trusts lessons have been learnt from the past and appropriate measures will be put in place to avoid a situation where the team will be fighting relegation instead of challenging for titles.
Unless drastic measures are taken to restore the Ghosts’ lost pride, the once mighty Orlando Pirates will become another club in the dustbin of has-beens.
Who remembers Pirates (Dolam), Ramblers (Katutura), Flames, Namib Woestyn, Hungry Lions, Swallows, Poison Cobra, Sorento Bucks, Young Ones, Liverpool, Explorer Eleven, Super Stars, BMC, Rangers, Red Bees, Battle Boys and many others?
Bad administration has been the downfall of many great clubs and the sooner Pirates’ management put their ducks in the row and stop running the club like some nil-star township shebeen, the better.
Hello !!! Please wake up and smell the java, the game of football has evolved and is now serious business. Lest we forget, all the successful clubs are run on sound business principles. I rest my case.