Carlos Kambaekwa
Let me first extend a sincere word of apology for my failure to deliver last weekend’s piece of your favourite pastime, “Shooting from the Hip”.
That was due to circumstances beyond control after yours truly had to rush to Jozi to cover the official launching of COSUA 2010.
Nevertheless, the show must go on and I must doff my Korie for Brian Isaacs and Mario Carreira and of course their young brigade at Orlando Pirates for lifting the coveted MTC Namibia Premiership title, after a marathon run that saw no less than seven teams challenging for the elusive silverware until the home stretch. But alas, it does not take a rocket scientist test to figure out the brainchild behind the Buccaneers’ successful campaign during the 2007/2008 season.
When Hendrik “Hennie” Dawids took over the reins at the usually troubled Buccaneers ship – a good number of the club’s diehards were not exactly appreciative of the encroachment by the former Blue Waters’ fast-as-lightning left-winger into sacred territory.
Whether Dawids was pushed or jumped before he was pushed off the sinking ship of Blue Waters remains open for debate – not that it would really matter, because those who had doubts over his flirtation with football are certainly sitting right up in their chairs whilst eating humble pie. Yours truly could not help but shed a tear or two when FIFA accredited referee Mathew Katjimune blew the final whistle during the Tigers/Blue Waters league encounter – a match that the Walvis Bay outfit needed to win at all costs to have any mathematical chance of escaping the dreaded relegation axe that has been hovering over them since the start of the just ended season. Surely, a team finding itself in that situation and arriving at the playing venue for such a crucial match without an alternative playing gear is a clear signal that something was seriously amiss in the camp of the once darlings of domestic football.
The body language of the players on that fateful day told a different story with very little commitment shown by almost the entire playing personnel, with the slight exception of veteran striker Armando Pedro and midfielder Mekondjo Tobias.
To compound matters, one would have expected the club’s diehards to come out in large numbers and support their beloved team during their hour of need, but this was not to be with only a handful of supporters jammed in, in the comfort of their cars while hoping for a miracle to save the sinking birds from hitting rock bottom.
Well, that’s the prize one pays when trying to run football like a community project – HELLO! Football is BIG business these days and must be treated as such.
In fact, yours truly is still in the process of figuring out what Blue Waters really meant when they introduced a committee of close to one hundred members comprising the club’s diehards to run an eye over the proceedings at the club following the sudden departure of the real messiah “Bra Hennie”.
Can you imagine a situation where every citizen would have to pass the nearest Police Station to ask for directions as to how to get to their preferred destinations – that’s just not on because such a situation has the potential to create a traffic jam and subsequent chaos and this is exactly what happened at Kuisebmond – courtesy of the historic introduction of the club’s large Executive Committee.
Ramblers Failure to Win the League Title was Self Inflicted
On the other side of the coin – ever wondered why a team like Ramblers with all its resources failed to live up to expectation when the situation presented itself – this ugly turn of events at Tunchel Street could only be attributed to a number of worrisome factors.
For starters, there are hopelessly too many success hungry individuals yielding too much power at the club even when they deal with matters outside the area of their specialization.
The untimely axing of joint coaches Tollie van Wyk and Dove Fransman was tantamount to suicide or how else does one explain such drastic steps while the team was in pole position to win the coveted league title?
Santos’ Return a Good Omen for Progress in the Copper Town
So, Chief Santos finally returned to where they rightfully belong and football fans in the sleepy town will see some of the country’s finest footballers in action again. I’ve always said a league without Chief Santos is not complete and the mediocre football that we have been subjected to since the relegation of Santos is partly testimony to that notion. Whilst the country celebrates the return of Santos – the town of Otjiwarongo finds herself in stark darkness as football fans mourn the demise of another great football club Life Fighters, who have been relegated from the Northern Stream First Division League after claiming the wooden spoon in the regional league.
Football Authorities Make a Mockery of Selection Criteria
Before fingers are pointed at me for not being patriotic by the self-confessed football gurus of this country – yours truly just can’t resist the temptation to challenge the selection criteria of our national football team the “Brave Warriors”.
Statistics point out that newly crowned MTC Namibia Premiership winners Orlando Pirates conceded the least number of goals during the past season which means their rearguard was solid yet the club’s defenders are permanently overlooked by the selectors.
A player like Klaas Blom has done enough to warrant selection but is being ignored for reasons only known to the technical staff and how does one explain the selection of the ineffective Rudi Louw and the off-form Jasmin “Ninja” Karongee. The bow-legged African Stars midfielder should have been in the Warriors setup long ago when he was on song but was strangely cold shouldered while off-form players were preferred over him or have their sudden inclusion anything to do with the pair’s destination in the coming season? Word has it that the duo has developed itchy feet eyeing a move down to sea level.
Strange things always happen in football and don’t be surprised if some of the selected players return the favour with the old trick of “you scratch my back and I scratch yours”.
Watch this pace.