The garden town of Okahandja has produced significant pairs of highly gifted siblings in various recreational disciplines, most notably the Doeseb brothers Axali and Baby of Ugly Creatures fame as well as younger cousins Gerson and Chicky Hoeb.
On the football field, the Tjihero brothers Albert, Jamanuka and Bimbo quickly spring to mind as leading the pack followed by the Naobeb siblings Moses, Doc, Japhta, Jessie and Joey Diergaardt and the fast as lightning Noabeb brothers Tswana and Mike ‘Mixub’ – the list is just too long to mention.
However, members from the Louis clan might have made their presence felt in the black and red colours of Windhoek outfit Black Africa, but their roots can be traced to Okahandja.
The late Vossie van Wyk, Fighter, Eddie, Jerome and lately Lorenzo (Jingly) Louis are all well-known athletes in local football circles but their uncle, the late Ectinus-Gerhard Louis, was in actual fact the real McCoy.
The nimble footed midfield kingpin could have easily gone all the way and become the greatest of them all had he not chosen to play his football with unfashionable local football teams in mildly organized structures in his native town Okahandja.
In today’s edition of our weekly sports feature, Tales of the Legends, New Era Sport brings to you our esteemed readers some of the memories about Slow Poison, as the late Gerhard was affectionately known amongst his adoring team mates and supporters of the now defunct Nau-Aib exciting outfit Black Beauty Chiefs.
OKAHANDJA – Born in 1954 on a commercial farm in the Hochfeld area, young Gerhard is a descendant of the football crazy Louis clan, a diehard family with close links with Gemengde-based outfit Black Africa Football Club.
Apart from the boys, some of the aunts and sisters from the Louis clan used to be great netballers in their own right – turning out for their beloved Black Africa at different intervals.
However, the late Gerhard was arguably the most gifted athlete to emerge from the clan. The soft-spoken ball juggler was slower than milk on the football pitch and always appeared uninterested but oh boy!, Bra Gerry was blessed with an amazing brilliant first touch and could go about the business on the field as if the much adored spherical object was glued to his feet.
Gerhard spent a significant chunk of his formative years in the garden town but was indeed a product of the St Joseph’s Secondary School (Dobra), the unofficial school of excellence (football wise) and started honing his football skills with fellow classmates after school in the dusty fields.
Despite his laid-back approach, the soft-spoken Gerhard defied tradition by electing to play his football with unfashionable football clubs Magic Tigers and Black Beauty Chiefs (BBC) in his hometown Okahandja, rather than join forces with his family’s preferred destination, Black Africa FC.
Okahandja was always blessed with hordes of highly gifted footballers in the mould of Doc Naobeb, Oscar Mengo, Merino Kandonga, Jomo Haoseb, Alex Kapenaina, Zambia Khoeseb, Alex Vekarapi, Rudi Pahl, Tanib Bastardo Straightwolf, Timo Goagoseb, Albert Tjihero, George Gariseb, Merino Kandonga, Hans Haraseb, Ace Tjirera, Edu Mungunda, Moses Naobeb, Joey Diergaardt and Hassie Mingeri, to mention but a few.
In the intervening years, the new generation of Congo Hindjou, Richard Gariseb, Bimbo Tjihero, Erastus Gariseb and Marko van Wyk kept the fire burning and hoisted the garden town’s flag with great honour and dignity.
In the absence of adequate football structures in the town’s largest residential area, Nau-Aib, the town boasted competitive football teams led by the exciting young outfit Battle Boys, Spoilers, Black Beauty Chiefs (BBC), Magic Tigers and Sunset Eleven from Veddersdal.
In those days, football clubs were established along tribal lines and Gerhard, coming from a multi-tribal background found himself between a rock and a hard place not knowing exactly which team to join.
Although he would occasionally turn out for Magic Tigers alongside his cousin Vossie van Wyk, Gerhard eventually settled for BBC, a predominantly Otjihereo speaking club.
He was to form a deadly combination in the middle of the park alongside Dobra schoolmate Albert Tjihero, under the supervision of the more experienced pair of Alex Vekarapi and Merino Kandonga. The late former South West Africa Bantu Eleven and African Stars attacking midfielder Floyd-Kamaarijanda Maharero was the head coach.
Gerhard’s arrival at the black and white strip outfit coincided with the exodus of many of the club’s stalwarts who called it quits as a result of being touched by age. The usually hard-to-please BBC followers took a liking to Gerhard’s unorthodox style of play and vision second to none.
“He was a great talent who could read the game pretty well and could have gone very far had he played at the next level like many of us. The late Gerhard was an exceptional athlete and could pass the ball accurately from any distance while his close ball control was a marvel to watch – I really enjoyed playing alongside him,” recalls former team-mate Albert Tjihero.
During his time with BCC, the club went on an unbeaten run during the entire season in 1973 in exhibition but hotly contested matches against leading visiting teams from Windhoek, that included Orlando Pirates, Flames, Black Africa, Pirates (Dolam) and Rocco Swallows to be rechristened Ramblers (Ramkat) in later years following its amalgamation with Jungle Boys FC.
BBC also enjoyed the upper hand in terms of bragging rights in the Nau-Aib location – brushing aside local rivals with ease with Gerhard Louis freely pulling the strings in the middle of the park.
“The arrival of Gerhard was like manna from heaven. He brought a new dimension to our style of play because we needed somebody who could counter the danger posed y the late Timo Goagoseb whenever competing against the likes of Battle Boys,” reveals former team-mate Usiel Jaezeruka.
In the meantime, Gerhard continued to torment defenders with his silky ball skills during the popular interschool exhibition games featuring his beloved Black Magic FC. Upon his retirement from active football while still at the pinnacle of his blossoming football career, Gerhard took up employment with Röossing Uranium Mine near Arandis from 1976 until 1984.
Gerhard exited the game of life at the fairly advanced age of 59 last year leaving behind his beautiful wife Amalie and seven children (three sons and four daughters). May his soul rest in peace.
By Carlos ‘CK’ Kambaekwa