Okakarara — Former Hungry Lions stylish winger, Abisai 'Shabby' Rukero, might not have counted among the most gifted footballers of all time, but the fast-galloping Shabby was nothing short of charisma. A late starter in the real sense of the word - perseverance finally paid off for the football crazy Shabby.

The bulky lad, whose feet resembled some worn-out hooves of an ageing camel, struggled to master the basic skills of the beautiful game during his infant flirtation with the inflated pigskin - but eventually matured like old wine in the intervening years. A Jack of all trades, Shabby's undying love for sport saw the strongly-built versatile athlete spending an unusual number of years at the Augustineum High School, more than any other known student.

Football used to be the in-thing in years gone by and every youngster, who thought he possessed what it took to become a great footballer in his own right, made it his sole beat to adopt a name of his idol.

When South African glamour football club, Kaizer Eleven, toured South West Africa (Namibia) for a few exhibition matches against local invitational teams in 1969, young Tjauue, Shabby's clan name, resolved there and then to model his somewhat sluggish game on that of the exciting Phefeni-based winger, Stanley 'Screamer' Tshabalala.

Not only did the decision gradually polish the rough edges of his gloomy game, but Tjauue also inherited the name and it has stuck up to this day.

Like many boys from his generation, Shabby honed his football skills in the dusty streets of the old location where he rubbed shoulders with the Mberirua brothers, Wilson and Bob, Karretjie 'Ricky Fataar' Hindjou, George Kambirongo, Efraim Hei, George Prizonsky and Ben Kauejao - all of them streetwise boys from the Ombandi section.

However, his football career was slightly disrupted when young Shabby relocated to the Waterberg Junior Secondary School near Okakarara, following the forced removal from the old location to Katutura by the gun-toting apartheid masters in 1968.

Shabby was drafted into the colourful Reds Team during the annual inter-school athletics season and immediately showed his versatility by excelling in both the track and field events, namely, shotput, discuss and the 400-metre sprint disciplines.

He joined Golden Bees FC on the campus as a noted left-winger and would also juggle his precious time between books, rugby as scrumhalf, and if this was not enough - he also tried his hand at boxing.

The ultra-active Shabby wanted a piece of everything and this is what probably kept him longer at school than many of his peers. "Not really, my main aim was to acquire as much knowledge and scholastic skill as I could because one never knows what the next door holds for you."

A schoolteacher by profession - the 55-year-old Shabby currently holds the plum position of Head of Department (HoD) at the Waterberg Junior Secondary School in the Otjozondjupa Region. He is also a qualified boiler maker and carpenter.

When he finally bade goodbye to his books - the energetic Shabby wasted little time and joined Tigers Football Club as a defender for three solid seasons before he developed itchy feet, only to resurface at Hungry Lions in the highly-competitive second division.

He also had a brief but remarkable stint with Katutura's only rugby team, Jaguars.

"I still have fond memories of my time with 'Ingweinyama'. We had a great squad and won several knockout tournaments. One particular tourney that stands out is the victory against Namib Woestyn, in their own backyard at Walvis Bay," recalls Shabby with a twinkle his eye.

His arrival at the maroon and white outfit seemed to be just what the good doctor ordered.

He was converted from a robust defender to a skilful right winger and can be today easily accredited for having changed the face of wide footballers, whose game was primarily based on speed and crossing the ball to their opposite number with enormous power.

Captain Fantastic Shabby developed his own unique style that always left opposing defenders for dead. Instead of hitting the customary hard crosses, the fast-galloping bulky winger would rather pull the ball back to his unmarked team mates to bang in an avalanche of goals.

The quartet of Justice Basson, Kallie Bullower, Jackson Meroro and Issy Murangi benefited immensely from Shabby's cleverly-executed square balls, which made Hungry Lions the team to beat for over a decade in the late seventies and early eighties.

"We won every available honour during that time and I will always cherish my time in the shining maroon and white colours of the Lions.

"We had a shrewd manager in the shape of the late Ben Uanivi and a great bunch of committed footballers in that squad."

"Gobabis used to be our happy hunting ground. We won a lot of tough battles against local giants Desert Rollers and Eastern Chiefs in the eastern capital. I wish one could turn back the clock because I really enjoyed touring the length and breadth of the country with that bunch of dedicated footballers."

Shabby is still very much involved with the game that brought him fame and is currently coaching the Waterberg Junior Secondary School team. The school has won lots of trophies under his tutorship and the piled-up trophy cabinet is a clear testimony of Shabby's invaluable expertise in the finer aspects of the beautiful game.

The grey-haired former Hungry Lions crowd favourite could not resist a parting shot at what he termed the poor football dished out by the current crop of local footballers.

"These boys have everything going for them in terms of money, conditions and proper facilities, but yet they cannot produce the type of football that would potentially usher fans through the turnstiles."