One of five football-playing brothers from Swakopmund’s largest residential area of Mondesa location, the just-departed former Robber Chanties attacker, Ebson /Gaseb, was the younger brother of former Robber Chanties and Orlando Pirates Football Club’s sharpshooter Benjamin ‘Kleintjie’ /Gaseb, famously going by the nickname ‘Springbok’.
Football freely runs in the genes of the seemingly well-brought-up /Gaseb siblings; elder brothers Bright, Otto, and younger Andrew also left their mark in the annals of domestic football and the live music performing industry.
The /Gaseb brothers are known for their shooting prowess from long range, but Ebson was slightly different. He was lightning fast, had amazing dribbling skills, could shoot accurately with both feet, was devastating in one-on-one battles, and was equally dangerous in aerial duels.
Sadly, the calculated retired footballer has unfortunately transitioned to eternity after a series of ailments. May his gentle soul rest in his ancestral power.
As has become customary practice, New Era Sport has the moral duty of paying tribute to our sporting heroes and heroines, present and posthumously. Lend us your eyes as we walk you, our esteemed readers, through the abbreviated, amazing life journey of this great man of substance.
Respectfully, the history of Namibian football will be incomplete and gravely distorted if the name of Khorixas outfit Robber Chanties doesn’t prominently feature in the narrative.
The gold and sky blue strip outfit has in the past produced some of the finest talents in domestic football including Hendrick ‘Doc’ Hardley, his uncle Eliphas ‘The Beast’ Sabatha, Gotty Gurirab, Paul Gawarib Uirib, Dawid ‘Fellah’ Snewe, Peter ‘Pele’ Damaseb, Moses ‘Croocks’ Casper, Lefa Naibab, Eben ‘Che’ Djuella, Isaac ‘Gruzi’ Goseb, Mike ‘Bokke’ Claasen, Benjamin ‘Kleintjie’ Gaseb, Joseph Garab, Bisho Ganinab, Barries Jagger Patrick Basson, Haosemab twins Peter and Paul, as well as many other footballers of remarkable pedigree.
These were doubtlessly some of the greatest football players to have ever played the beautiful game of football on Namibian soil.
Playing in the same era as one’s celebrated sibling was not going to be a walk in the park, as the young /Gaseb was made to live in the shadow of his more celebrated elder brother Benjamin ‘Kleintjie’. The latter was a devastating winger who mesmerised defenders with deft touches while his long-range shots left many a goalkeeper with permanently deformed fingers, from handling his trademark thunderous pile drivers.
Interestingly, the undisputed dominant view is that left-handed people are more likely to be geniuses in many aspects of life. The great scientist Albert Einstein, former American President Barack Obama, business mogul Bill Gates, footballers Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Querra Jacobs, Norries Goraseb, Paul Gawarib Uirib, classical music maestro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, salted guitarists Jimmy Hendrix, Brazzo Gomusab, Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos, veteran media personalities Robin Tyson, and Norah Appolus are all exceptional geniuses in their respective fields of authority.
Back home, the left-handed /Gaseb siblings are not far from that description, as they entertained and stunned the crowds with their God-given football artistry on the playing field. Apart from football, the Gaseb brothers are also noted musicians, specialising in playing various instruments ranging from guitars to brass instruments —certainly no mean feat.
Younger brother Ebson was a devastating forward, handsomely gifted with blistering speed and jaw-dropping close-ball control. He could easily zigzag his way past a cluster of robust defenders without having to shed a drop of sweat. The afro-haired attacker also had a successful short stint with Katutura giants Black Africa, winning several high-profile pieces of silverware with the Namibian ‘Kings of knockout Cups’. Upon completing his elementary education in his native Swakopmund, Ebson was dispatched to Khorixas to pursue his academic aspirations at the revered Khorixas Secondary School Braunfels Agriculture Learning Institution.
Apart from football, the multi-talented athlete also excelled in track and field athletics, notably in the discus and javelin throws during the hotly contested inter-school athletic meets. It was in Khorixas that his football journey took another turn after he joined local giants Robber Chanties Football Club from the unfashionable youthful outfit Barcelona Football Club.
His next stop was the city of bright lights (Windhoek), in search of greener pastures. The boy from Mondesa wasted little time and found refuge with Katutura giants Black Africa Football Club before another short-lived stay in the Buccaneers’ (Orlando Pirates) smooth sailing yacht.
Nevertheless, home is always where the heart is. ‘Ou Ebbo’ retreated to his native town of Swakopmund, where he found a job at Rossing Uranium Ltd. before changing jobs after landing a lucrative position with the town’s municipality to stay closer to his family. He was the founder member of Mondesa outfit United Stars alongside brothers Otto and Benjamin /Gaseb.
The late /Gaseb will be laid to rest tomorrow. The burial will be preceded by a memorial service in tandem with the customary overnight virgil, at the family residence at 538 Tjiuovoye Street, Mondesa, Swakopmund, from 18h00 today.
For further inquiries, please contact: Ben /Gaseb on 0811224270/0817220222 or Annah /Gases on 0816384659.