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Home / Up close with Tomi “Tambai” Adams

Up close with Tomi “Tambai” Adams

2020-06-19  Carlos Kambaekwa

Up close with Tomi “Tambai” Adams

He might not have had possesed the silky skills of his more celebrated teammate, the man he was eventually to replace in the star-studded Black Africa Football Club engine room, Lucky Boostander but Tomi Adams was your typical box to box midfielder in the real sense of the word. The strongly-built midfield-cum-defender arrived at the Gemengde outfit with much fanfare from unfashionable Kuisebmond outfit Super Stars on the recommedation of club’s blue-eyed boy Boostander.
In no time, he cemented a permanent place in the Katutura outfit’s starting lineup. Tomi played an instrumental role in the club’s upsurge and subsequent success that saw BA win several knockout cup tournaments during his presence in the black and red strip of BA.

 

Born across the Orange River in the resettled village town of Riemvasmaak in the Northern Cape, South Africa, Tomi is a direct descendant of Jacob Marengo, the general of the much trumpted Nama/Ovaherero genocide victims in Southern Namibia. 
Young Tomi found himself in the crossfire of the much-despised Group Areas Act. This discriminating inhuman law led to the painful separation of relatives forcing those of Damara/Nama background to be summarily relocated to Damaraland in the Khorixas district in the vast Kunene region.

Tomi started primary school in the mining town of Arandis and matriculated at the revered Kolin Foundation Secondary School in the town. The football crazy lad was a regular starter for the Western Schools combined football team between 1985 and 1989.
He later joined forces with Super Stars FC in Walvis-Bay, playing alongside the likes of Bob Seibeb, Duban Benson, Thomas Petrus Basson (younger brother of the late African Stars speedy winger Patrick Basson), Gregory Benson-Gawanab, Giant Shekupe and other young boys in the neigbourhood. 

A Jack of all trades, the calculated defender was equally an outstanding performer on the class room benches. It came as no surprise when he was included in the touring entourage that went to South Africa representing the combined Damaraland Schools in a hotly contested Debate and Leadership Winter Schools gathering, hosted by the Mother City (Cape Town) in 1989.
In the interim, his football exploits did not go unnoticed as he was lured to the city of bright lights {Windhoek} by former Black Africa playmaker Boostander at the dawn of Namibia’s democracy in 1990. The latter was working at Rossing Uranium Mine, near Arandis at the time.

The likeable defensive midfielder was amongst dozens of highly gifted youngsters recruited to succeed the ageing old guard of Five Hochobeb, Mike Awaseb, Carpio Kauendjii, Hannes Louw, Kantori Paulino, Bigman Schultz and few other stalwarts who were getting a bit long in the tooth.
“Bro T” established himself as a vital cog in the team’s starting lineup, helping the team to reclaim its former glory days by winning multiple trophies including the prestigious Metropolitan Knockout and Castle Classic Trophies in only his second season with his new club in 1991.
He was also in the side that lost to Sorento Bucs 1-0 in the 1991 edition of the annual Castle Classic Cup final at the fully packed Katutura stadium. Nonetheless, BA reclaimed the Metropolitan Cup in 1991 via 2-1 triumph over Okahandja outfit Liverpool with Lolo Goraseb grabbing a well taken brace.

Shielding the tallish skinny centre back, the late Ringo Skrywer, who was recruited from Hungry Lions in the BA well balanced midfield, the easygoing newcomer affectionately known as Tambai, amongst the club’s ardent followers, warmed the hearts of the usually hard to please BA fans with five star displays. He played a pivotal role when the Gemengde outfit won the much sought after NFA Cup in 1993 dispatching Young Ones 3-2 before adding the hastily arranged Charity Cup in commoration of the newly built wall around the old Katutura Golgotha Cemetery in 1994.
An outstanding academic and well respected community activist, “Bro T” successfully completed a Diploma in Marketing at the Academy of Tertriary Education. 

Outside the campus libraries, the tall boy from Khorixas was deservedly bestowed with the distinct honour of the college’s football team captain’s armband for the TISAN team during the tertiary institution’s tour to neigbouring Botswana in 1994. 
At club level, “Bro T” continued to highlight his football prowess at an amazing pace propelling Black Africa to another victory in what has then became their fortress, the NFA Cup in 1995. 
With old time campaigner Indies Damaseb slowly fazing out, the verstaile Tomi was converted to the centre back position where he was to partner Skrywer in the team’s solid rearguard.  

Blessed with a brilliant first touch for a rookie defender, “Bro T” was equally a damn good reader of the game with well timed interceptions, your modern centre back in the habit of launching attacks from the back while stationed in front of the finest shot stopper in the business at the time, the towering Ronnie Kanalelo. 
After a full decade of uninterrupted service to his beloved BA, “Bro T” wrapped up his near faultless football career with the coveted Namibia Premier League {NPL} title in 1997 in addition to the two back to back league titles in 1994 and 1995, bringing the curtain down to an otherwise flourishing football career, before hanging up his boots in 2000.
Upon retirement from competitive football, the calculated versatile defender was incorporated in the club’s management where he held the portfolio of team manager, succeeding the ever present Sacky Mangali.  

Off the field, the immaculately dressed Tambai, who could easily be mistaken for a South African migrant, oversaw a fair amount of good returns during his two-year tenure in the team’s hierarchy. 
This includes victory in the New Era newspaper sponsored Sam Nujoma Cup. BA waltzed past cross town neigbours Ramblers to claim the prestigious trophy in Walvis-Bay.

What made the spotless football journey of “Bro T” worth the candle is the fact that he barely trained with his teammates since he was fully employed by Rossing Uranium Mine, occupying the portfolio of protective gear supplier for miners between 1997 and 2001. 
In the intervening years, “Bro T” took up employment with local food suppliers Namib Mills (Feedmaster) shepherding the production unit.
Nowadays a solid established self-employed business entrepreneur, the adorable retired defender is harbouring serious ambitions to become a politician in the upcoming regional elections. 

“Bro T” has been burning the midnight oil in an effort to put his ducks in the row to realize a longheld ambition of serving his constituency and becoming the preferred voice of change to the hopes of marginalised communities. Amongst his many portfolios in charitable projects so far, the hard-working community leader is the incumbent Chairperson of Palmwag Concession in conjunction with Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism.
In addition, the often-flamboyant entrepreneur turned livestock farmer has been the occupant of several high-profile positions in the following sequence; 
Directorship in Tourism Entities, Former member of Kunene Communal Land Board, Member of Kunene Governors’ Education Fund and is serving his second term as chairperson of Torra Conservancy.
 


2020-06-19  Carlos Kambaekwa

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