ANY living footballer on Namibian soil who had that rare opportunity to play alongside, or let alone, shared the same pitch with the late Tigers football genius Timo Mwetuyela, is surely within his rights to brag that they have been there, done this, done that and have seen it all during their football careers.
One bloke who enjoyed that sacred privilege to share the dressing room with the legendary Times is none other than his hometown boy, Fundi Kambangula, also known as Kido among his circle of boyhood buddies during his formative years on the dusty football fields of Windhoek’s old location.
At face value, the customary immaculately dressed Elvis Presley look-alike Fundi, is like somebody who could hardly harm a fly, but oh boy! he packed venomous dynamite in his trusted left foot, which was reminiscent of his mentor, the late Mwetuyela.
Fundi joined the country’s oldest football club at a fairly tender age of 18 and was literally thrown into the lion’s den – playing alongside a galaxy of established stars, among them Times, Ndakoloh Haininga, Tiwes and Nandos Mbako, Honnie Ochurub, Pineas Iyambo, Ferre Akwenye, Martin Veiko, Brown Amwenye, Pwiro Angula, Jason “Kayala” Haufiku and the Hiskia siblings, Sisingi and Oom Paul.
After two appearances in the blue and white colours of Tigers second strings, Fundi quickly established himself as a formidable left-winger in the Ingweinyama’s first team. In subsequent years, Fundi went on to form a deadly combination with the equally dangerous Kayala, following the shock passing of Mwetuyela.
The left-footed pair tormented many opposing teams at ease from their preferred left flank, propelling Tigers to greater heights in domestic football as the old guard was fading out.
New Era Sports tracked down the soft-spoken handsome left-winger at his modest home in Tsumeb’s largest residential area Nomtsoub, as he relives some interesting tales about his greatest moments on the football pitch.
Fundi also speaks fondly about his most cherished memory in football when the Kapuii Angula-inspired Rhenisch Herero School demolished the star-studded Rhenisch Nama School to lay claim to the maiden edition of the Native Schools Knockout Cup at the Municipal Stadium in Katutura in 1967.
TSUMEB – Kido was born on a smallholding farm Abenab, better known as Onjava-Njava in the Otjiherero vernacular, near Grootfontein on July 17, 1952.
As for his football career, he was a product of the courageous Rhenisch Herero School football team that defied all odds stacked against them to see off the much-fancied Rhenisch Nama School 3-1 in an exciting final of the Native School Knockout Cup Tournament at the now revamped Municipal Stadium in Katutura in 1967. Their opponents on the day had the likes of the dangerous Orlando Pirates’ terrible twins Willem Eichab and Daniel Koopman as well as the robust Izaak Gariseb in their star-studded squad.
The Rhenisch Herero School starting line-up included the acrobatic Bollie Kandonga between the sticks, Shaka Mbako, Kometundu Tjituka, Grey Umati, Kaika Kuzee, Usiel Muruko, Nobby Hambira, Kaparoro Kandjii, Katjitata Kazombiaze, Kapuii Angula and Fundi Kambangula.
Like all other boys growing up in the old location at the time, Fundi was obliged by circumstances to play football because the beautiful game was considered a religion among the oppressed black community in those days.
“I would play football at any given time and mostly competed in the popular street games with my boyhood buddies Grey, Naughty, Pepsi, Shaka, Packey, Ringo and some other boys from the neigbourhood, while Kapuii also joined us at a later stage after his arrival from Tsumeb,” reveals Fundi.
“I will always remember my first appearance for Tigers against Orlando Pirates in a knockout cup tournament at the old Katutura stadium, the Mecca of football in those days.
The match ended in a 2-stalemate after darkness had set, so the tie had to be replayed the next day. We eventually won the replay 3-2.
Unlike many of his peers, Fundi and his old buddy Grey Umati had an abbreviated stint in the club’s feeder teams as the pair gained promotion to the first team after just a few matches for Tigers’ second strings.
“Unbelievably, the competition was very tough since the club had four teams in its structures, but amazingly we jumped the last two lower teams, turning out straightaway for the second team before graduating to the first team after a few games.”
With Fundi leading their firing line down the left flank, Tigers won several knockout cup competitions in towns like Keetmanshoop, Walvis Bay, Tsumeb and Windhoek. As fate would have it, his trusted striking partner Kayala skipped the country and went into exile – leaving Fundi with the enviable task of steering the ship out of troubled waters single-handedly.
“To be quite honest, Kayala and I formed a telepathic partnership on the field and when he left, I somehow lost my appetite for the game,” recalls Fundi. It was not long before the likeable flying winger resolved to relocate to his roots in Tsumeb where he found refuge with Nomtsoub giants Benfica Football Club.
After a couple of games with “Fica-Fica”, Fundi left his new club and joined forces with Oshakati City when he moved to the northern capital in search of greener pastures before he retired from all forms of football while still at the pinnacle of his flourishing football career.
“There was no more fun playing football and I decided to take up tennis as a pastime to while away time. In all honesty, I must confess I really enjoyed playing tennis.
“Nevertheless, I only have good memories about my battles on the football field and will always cherish my countless battles with Orlando Pirates’ cool as a cucumber centre back Steve ‘Kalamazoo’ Stephanus, Black Africa’s tough as steak fullback Spokes Tibinyane and the uncompromising Pirates fullback Izaak Gariseb.
“Those guys were real toughies who took no prisoners but I must admit I always looked forward to confront them. One bloke who used to be a hell of a striker to come up against was Pius ‘Pele’ Eigowab of Black Africa. That boy was blessed with blistering pace, strong on the ball, trickery, unpredictability and above all, he also packed dynamite in both feet and could shoot from awkward angles unexpectedly.”
Fundi is hopeful one could turn back the clock and bring back the good old days. He still dreams about the exciting Katutura derbies against traditional rivals Orlando Pirates and Africa Stars that had the crowds on the edge of their seats at the packed to the rafters old Katutura stadium during the days when the game of football was a religion among black communities across the entire country.
By Carlos ‘CK’ Kambaekwa