Back in the day, schools dominated the beautiful game of football to the extend that many local teams were made to play second fiddle to these learning institutions in the popular knockout cup tournaments played country wide.Those that comes were St Josephs Secondary School (Dobra) Welwitschias (Cornelius Goraseb) Martin Luther High and Augustineum Secondary School.It’s an open secret that Dobra were the real deal, unearthing a significant number of highly gifted footballers under the stewardship of Meester Willem Hans.However, Windhoek based Augustineum Secondary School equally produced great footballers in the mould of Johannes Kapuii Hangula, Asser Uatjavi Mbai, Japhet Hellao, Lazarus Shikwambi, Kaika Kuzee, Jerry Tobias, Frekkie Plaatjies, Muheke “Bush” Menjengua, Johnny Veiko, Michael “Ou Pine” Pienaar sr, Phillemon “Safe” Kuruseb, Micah “Capro” Ngapurue, Tommy Amkanya “Okanambaka” Kaimbi, Abraham Kukuri and many others.
WINDHOEK – Born Micah Ngapurue, in the small north-western town of Outjo in the vast Otjozondjupa Region on the 9th of June in 1951, the light skinned silky midfielder arrived in the city of bright lights (Windhoek) to further his academic aspirations at the revered Augustineum Secondary School in the late 60’s.
Unlike many recruits (newcomers) coming from outside the borders of the capital who were labeled “Plaas Jappies” (village boys) or worse still “Moegoes” in ostensible dire need of some kind of refinement adjusting to city life and become streetwise – young Micah hit the ground running with his deft touches on the spherical object becoming the toast of the star-studded school football team.
Strangely, many of his adoring teammates could not properly pronounced his Otjiherero surname Ngapurue and resolved to adopt a short cut and rechristened the dangerous playmaker “Capro”, a name that stuck to him up to this day.
“Capro” went onto form the spine of the untouchable Augustineum School Football side alongside the free scoring Pwiro Hangula, Frikkie Plaatjies and his cousin, the lanky Michael “Ou Pine” Pienaar, in the firing line. In those days, footballers were free to turn out for other teams as guest players during the popular knockout cup tournaments in the absence of organized football league structures.
Capro would occasionally play for Katutura giants Orlando Pirates alongside his school teammates Japhet “Bump Jive” Hellao and his cousin the tallish “Ou Pine” Pienaar.
Upon completing school, he resurfaced at the coastal town of Walvis Bay where he found refuge with the blue and white strip of “Omeya” (Blue Waters FC).
Back at the revered Augustineum Secondary School football team, Capro knitted a tight deadly combination with the fast as lightning Johnny Veiko, Pwiro Hangula, Manfred “Bush” Menjengua and bulky midfield general Justus Kaika Kuzee.
An absolute intelligent footballer, blessed with a phenomenal first touch, unbelievable close ball control and above all, great vision, “Capro” was without an iota of doubt a damn phenomenal athlete who possessed that rare knack (ability) to make those around him play better football.
As these attributes were not enough, the boy could easily spearhead wins in crucial matches with just one moment of individual brilliance – that was bro Capro for you!!.
Boyhood buddy and fellow schoolmate Japhet Shapama “Bump Jive” Hellao, describes his former teammate as a complete athlete. “Capro was a political activist at a very young age and would mobilize students to resists the much despised Bantu Education system.
“He was a multi talented athlete who also excelled in almost everything he laid his hands on, notably athletics, football and rugby,” recalls the former South West Africa (SWA) Bantu Eleven and Orlando Pirates acrobatic shot stopper duped “Bump Jive”.
“He (Capro) Hunab “Official” Eichab and Ernst //Noadeb Naweseb were actually the blokes that took me to Orlando Pirates Football Club.”
Sadly, his promising football career was to be abruptly abbreviated when like many other students at the time, Capro development itchy feet in search of better education opportunities abroad fleeing the country of his birth and went into exile.
Capro was amongst an exodus of a talented crop of Blue Waters Football Club valuable squad members alongside Lemmy Lazarus and Zondi Amathila who fled the South African Apartheid system going to exile in search pastures green in the mid seventies. And while many of his exiled peers returned home after Namibia gained her democracy in 1990, the adorable footballer (Capro) resolved to remain put in his adopted Germany but sadly passed away in 2009.
His body was repatriated to his native land to be laid to rest alongside beloved family members who have gone west (died) at the Etoshapoort Cemetery (Outjo). May his soul rest in eternal peace in one piece.