Goalkeeping is a specialist position which requires excellent timing, anticipation, agility, ball handling skills and, most importantly, bravery.
That is how former Black Africa, Orlando Pirates, SKW FC and Brave Warriors goaltender Herman 'Harry' Januarie describes the attributes of a goalkeeper.
"Goalkeeping is definitely not for the faint-hearted . . . While agility is essential it is also very important that you're brave and not afraid to come off your line to clear crosses.
"You have to be ready for any even- tuality and be switched on 120%," he says.
Januarie is one of a few players who were discovered by the late Romanian coach Ted Dumitru, who led South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Ma- melodi Sundowns to great league and cup successes between 1985 and 2005.
Dumitru took charge of the Namibian national team between 2000 and 2001. "I was was initially in camp with the national under-23 at the same time as the Brave Warriors in 2000. The
two sides played a warm-up match to prepare ourselves for upcoming international commitments when he spotted me," Januarie says.
"I must have made a very good ac- count of myself, because Dumitru, who was also responsible for the develop- ment structures of our football at the time, told the top brass of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) that I had potential and should start training with the senior team."
The Walvis-born star started to play organised football with the under-15 team of Kuisebmond Secondary School.
"I only played street football before I went to De Duine from Immanuel Ruiter Primary School, where I never kicked a ball. I enjoyed playing infield back then and I was a very useful striker during our stake games," he says.
"However, apart from running the 100m and 200m sprints, while I also enjoyed doing the long jump, it was always only football for me. I was goalkeeper for Kuisebmond Second- ary School when I was approached by Eleven Arrows to join their feeder team, Young Arrows."
Ironically, Januarie made his big break into the Namibian Premier League with Black Africa and not Eleven Arrows.
The towering goalkeeper was still on former premier league outfit Life Fighters when he was approached by Black Africa (BA), under former coach David 'Fellah' Snewe - one of the greatest stars ever to have played for BA.
Januarie broke his foot during his de- but match for the Lively Lions against Oshakati City and almost spent a whole year on the sidelines.
After this he joined Dynamos at Grootfontein, with whom he also won several minor tournaments in the first division.
"There's nothing sweeter than win- ning the Windhoek Lager NFA Cup with Orlando Pirates during a pulsat- ing final clash against Tigers at Rundu in 2001.
"It was really nice entering the en- counter as the underdogs and no one really gave us a chance against Tigers. But the people who made it into the Rundu Stadium watched us defeating the favourites 2-1."
He quit Pirates and went to spend the 2004/5 season with Oshakati before returning to Pirates only to move on to SKW shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, Januarie, who never played a single match for Namibia, continued to be Danzyl Bruwer's un- derstudy at the Brave Warriors.
He may not have seen action in a Brave Warriors jersey, however, the hardworking goalie is grateful today to have been entrusted by the national technical committee who recognised his potential by always calling him up.
"Working with so many coaches at the national team level has elevated my game," Januarie says.
"I have grown, both as a player and as a person. So much so that I decided to become a goalkeeper coach while I was still playing for SKW under coach Lucky Kakuva."
Januarie became so hooked on coaching that he obtained a goalkeeping coach C licence.
WORK, FAMILY
He married his long-time girlfriend Rosa in 2010, and the couple has four children.
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"I attended NFA coaching and fit-
ness courses and today I am happy to declare that I am qualified goalkeeper coach and I make a living by coach- ing goalkeepers. I've been part of the NFA technical team for over 10 years," Januarie says.
"I can proudly say I was the goal- keeper coach when Namibia won their only Cosafa Cup under coach Ricardo Mannetti, and I was also around after Bobby Samaria took over as the na- tional team coach, but I was not retained by current coach Collin Benjamin."
The current goalkeeper coach of Unam FC in the Namibian Football Premier League also coached Tigers goalkeepers under coach Samaria and has departed national team goalkeepers like Ephraim Tjihonge, Maximilian Mbaeva, Virgil Vries, Charles Uirab, Edward Maova and Lloyd Kazapua.
Januarie owns AJ Amazing Tree Goalkeeping Academy at the Multi- Purpose Youth Complex at Katutura, where he is nurturing future Brave War- riors stars from Mondays to Wednes- days while he works with goalkeepers attached to clubs on Thursdays.
