2 May 2008
Windhoek — It's no exaggeration to note that both Black Africa and Orlando Pirates have largely lived off the southern part of the country in keeping their legacy afloat in years gone by, and up to this day there has been very little adjustment to that old trend, so to speak.
Former greats such as Hans "Alu" Hummel, the late Norbertus "Norries" Goraseb, Barnes Hansen, Lucky and Paultjie Boonstander, Francis Kooper, Doc Jossop, Markus "Killer" Kamberipa and George Hummel were all products from down South - who certainly left their mark in the annals of Namibian football.
And while the South has produced a significant number of talented footballers who went on to become established names in domestic football - some players got stuck to their guns and point-blankly resisted the temptation of trekking to the City of milk and honey.
One such footballer is former Bee Bob Brothers' hard-as-nails centre back Edu Boois - New Era Sports caught up with Bra Edu in his hometown Mariental, where the 53-year old Boois took us through his career as a footballer in the dusty streets of Aimablaagte.
By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK - Unlike modern footballers who are so prone to developing itchy feet at the slightest provocation - Edu Boois only donned the Black and Red colours of his beloved team Bee Bob Brothers.
It was at Bee Bob Brothers where he formed a brotherly bond with other players of note such as Terry and Simon Kooper, Isaak "Izallo" Swarts and Tostao Mungunda.
"Those were the days my broer, we would sometimes take ages driving to Windhoek to play in tournaments there against the likes of Orlando Pirates and African Stars to compete for trophies only, and no financial incentives at stake.
"We would always struggle against the Windhoek-based teams because we found the transition from playing on a gravel pitch to the lawn surface a bit awkward at times. As a result, we got whacked by the more streetwise Outies from the Katutura township. But as we became used to the playing conditions, we started to give a good account of ourselves and certainly became a force to be reckoned with in domestic football."
In his own words, Bee Bob Brothers were the darlings of the South as they dominated the beautiful game in this part of the country with the likes of Try Again, Black Arrows, King Pele Santos and Atlanta Bucks from Lüderitz Bucht always left to play second fiddle to the boys from Hardap.
"We were unstoppable and won countless tournaments in those days mainly in Keetmanshoop, Lüderitz, Aranos and on home turf. Football used to be very competitive in those years unlike nowadays where modern footballers are having all the necessary support in place, yet the football on the pitch is well below the required standards.
"Whenever they selected a combined team for the South, my name used to be amongst the first on the list because I was a very versatile player who converted from a striker to sweeper with ease, but the lack of financial backers seriously contributed to the club's demise, otherwise we could have been on par with other established teams in the country," he narrates.
"Imagine travelling in old pick-ups like a pack of sardines in a tin from Mariental to Lüderitz or Windhoek for that matter - it would always take us ages to get there and by the time we got on to the field of play, the players were stiff from fatigue.
"In our days, when a team scored first it was extremely difficult for their opponents to get on the score sheet as the team with a goal advantage would throw a 'Chinese Wall' to protect their slender lead. But modern footballers don't play with pride - that's why they jump from one team to another, a practice that is immensely contributing to the lack of continuity at club level."
Boois says almost every team had a settled lineup and cited the lack of super stars in each club as well as the worrisome lack of goals as chief reason why fans are not turning up at the turnstiles these days.
"You might see a couple of goals here and there, but alas, those goals are boring because most of the time the players are hell-bent on walking the ball in the net rather than shooting from range and that's certainly not what the paying customers want to witness.
"I once scored a magic goal right from the centre line while playing for Bee Bob Brothers against Orlando Pirates in a tournament at Okahandja, and though we lost that particular match by 5 goals to 1 - that goal was the talk of the town for many years to come."
Meanwhile, Boois' beloved football outfit Bee Bob Brothers has gone the way of the dinosaur after the oldest football club in Mariental sold its franchise to Namib Woestyn at the beginning of the current season.
"The sale was inevitable as we really struggled financially to keep the club afloat, but we have since realized that it was a poor decision to sell our franchise. Nevertheless, we are currently busy putting our ducks in the row in the hope to rekindle the glory days of Bee Bob Brothers.
I'm almost certain we will achieve our goal because the bulk of the players are no longer prepared to relocate to Windhoek which can only augur well for the well-being of the club."
In recent years, Bee Bob Brothers have produced great players such as Sydney Plaatjies and Meraai Swartbooi and the former players have promised to throw their weight behind efforts to re-establish the club.
So let us all hope the once darling of southern football will resurface with more vigour and reclaim their rightful place amongst the country's elite teams.
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