31 October 2008
Football fans around the country will always remember George Gariseb as a hard tackling fearless defender during his heyday with Katutura glamour football club African Stars.
Off the field and now some years since retiring from the game he served with so much distinction - the bearded stocky defender is still very much the same, always eager for new challenges and still very much competitive in whatever he does.
While he loved nothing better than the physical side of things during his illustrious football career - these days, the 52-year old George takes great pleasure in hitting a much smaller white ball down the dusty fairways of the Okahandja golf course.
George might be a newcomer on the golf scene in the eyes of many, but the multi talented strongly built athlete says his romance with golf started way back in 1967, before he even came into contact with the spherical object.
He used to negotiate his way around the thorny fairways as a caddy for one of the garden town's most affluent businessman Bobby Pahl in years gone by, to earn extra pocket money to supplement his mother's meagre income while still at primary school at the Okahandja Native School in Nau-Aub.
Here his homeboy and former teammate Carlos Kambaekwa, introduces you to the life of George Gariseb, who had to endure endless insults coupled with tribal chants for playing for a predominantly Herero speaking club.
OKAHANDJA - Like many youngsters his age - young George started chasing leather at the tender age of nine while at school where he mingled with other boys like Herman "Harry" Garus-Aob, Benjamin "Tokollo" Naobeb, Zebedeus "Merino" Kandonga, Hans Haraseb, Ismael "Tsusai" Khoeseb, Timotheus "Lemmy" Goagoseb, Moses "Bastardo" Straightwolf, Elias Leopoldt, Ignatius "Cuba" Kaitjirokere and Siegfried "Jossy" Haoseb, amongst a bunch of talented youngsters.
"We always played amongst ourselves in selected teams to while away time since there was not much recreation in the town in those days. I actually started playing serious football when I went to the Cornelius Goraseb High School at Khorixas in 1973."
Young George found himself in the company of other talented footballers such as Stephanus "Ocasio" Awaseb, Ben Gonteb, Gotty Gurirab, Ben Xamiseb, Freddy "Loskop" Guibeb and his cousin and childhood buddy Hans Haraseb.
"We mostly played friendly matches against the likes of Augustineum, Dobra and Okakarara, whom we used to beat thoroughly. Augustineum had very good players in the form of Rusten Mogane and Mentos Hipondoka."
The school also played in several knock-out tournaments in the north and western parts of the country.
"We would always enroll in the second division because the competition was very tough in those days but we enjoyed some success against the likes of Blue Waters' second strings and several other teams. Most teams had very strong feeder teams."
Back home in his home town, George featured for Spoilers Football Club during the school holidays and also had stints as a roving defender with the star-studded Battle Boys outfit and Magic Tigers, while he would occasionally feature as a guest player for both Katutura rivals Orlando Pirates and Black Africa.
It was while playing for Battle Boys in the Central League when African Stars scouts spotted the fearless hard galloping young right back - prompting Asser Mbai and homeboy Oscar "Silver Fox" Mengo to persuade him to join the rank and file of Stars in 1976.
"For me it was easier to slot into the team because most of the players in the squad such as Oscar, Merino, Bethuel 'Ace' Tjirera and Albert Tjihero were from my hometown," recalls George with tears of joy running freely down his cheeks.
He made his debut for Stars against St Josephs High School (Dobra) and has never looked back ever since - making the number 2 jersey his own property until the day he called it quits.
"We had a very well balanced team and very few teams could match us in all departments. Guys like Willy Rwida, Jacob 'Soetmnan' Kaune, Oscar 'Silver Fox' Mengo, Justus 'Kaika' Kuzee, Asaria 'Ndjiva' Kauami, Ben 'Hikuepi' Kauejao, Bethuel 'Ace' Tjirera, Albert 'Hoonjo' Tjihero, Willy 'Garrincha' Katire and Zairean refugee Zenga Dodos were in a class of their own.
"The team was coached by Keller Kauta, a strict disciplinarian who took no prisoners and had no margin for errors. He would swear at players for making elementary mistakes and that really made us even more determined to succeed."
His presence and instant success with the Reds saw a number of homeboys also joining the fray with Ismael "Tsusai" Khoeseb, Doc Naobeb, Hans Haraseb, Lemmy Goagoseb and Hassie Mingeri all coming on board.
"We felt at home because most of us came from the very same background and really enjoyed the camaraderie that always prevailed in the squad.
"We were the first team to join the predominantly white league and soon stamped our authority as we announced our arrival by winning the double in 1977 - capturing both the league title and the much sought after Mainstay Knock-Out Cup in our maiden season in multi racial football.
"At first, we struggled a bit coming to terms with the rules governing the game but we quickly learned and our superior ball skills also helped us to adapt. There were very good teams like Ramblers, SKW, Sparta, Atlantis and Swakopmund - but we were in a different class.
"The white teams were technically very sound with good players such as Hugh 'Bobby' Craddock, Gunter Hellinghausen, Wolgang Fleischammel, Ronny Dagnin, Siggy Anderson, Bob Koudelka and the De Gouveia brothers Carlos and Ivo.
"Sparta was the strongest of them all but they always came off second best against us in all our encounters."
George became a regular member of the South West Africa Invitational side that competed at the prestigious annual provincial Currie Cup competition in South Africa and any team sheet without the name of George Gariseb next to position number two would be considered incomplete.
He also played against the likes of the visiting South African teams such as the Raphael "Mlungisi" Ngubane led Bush Bucks, Ace Mates, The Birds, Hellenic and many other invitational sides.
On the domestic front, George did not always fancy playing against Black Africa.
"They had very tricky players in the mould of 'Mombakkies', Bernard 'Hassie' Mingeri and George Martin, and I will not forget that fateful day when Black Africa beat us in the final of the Mainstay Cup through George Martin's single strike at the old Showground Stadium," recalls George.
Unlike a sizeable chunk of former footballers who are battling to keep hunger at bay since calling it quits - George is a successful farmer in the Otjiwarongo district and runs a makeshift butchery from the back of his house in Nau-Aub, Okahandja.
George is happily married to Johanna and has since exchanged his football togs for golf clubs and is currently a 14-handicap golfer.
"My passion for golf resulted from my days as a caddy and upon retirement from football I decided to go back to my roots."
He has no hesitation in mentioning the name of former Orlando Pirates' dribbling wizard Norbertus "Norries" Goraseb as his most difficult opponent, while he places former teammate and homeboy Oscar "Silver Fox" Mengo in a different bracket when it comes to the most complete footballer of his generation.
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