Most football players make resolutions they never keep once their glamorous careers are over, but not former Kaizer Chiefs and Brave Warriors star Robert ‘Baggio’ Nauseb.
Nauseb during his glittering playing days already decided he wanted to become a coach after retirement, and is currently living his dream.
His story is a typical one of going from rags to riches: The former winger swapped the dusty streets of Khorixas to play under the floodlights of the world-class Soccer City in Johannesburg.
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“Growing up at Khorixas where I went to live with my grandmother was not easy. The older guys would always take the best positions on the team – from midfield to the forward positions – and the younger players like myself would fill the defensive spots,” Nauseb says.
“I was only 13 at the time and I loved the game . . . I was later selected for the pre-independence under-13 side which represented South West Africa in a provincial tournament in South Africa.”
Nauseb found himself in the company of his former Brave Warriors teammate, Ricardo ‘Bucksy’ Mannetti, during the tournament that was played in Port Elizabeth, now named Gqeberha.
The retired star featured for his family team Black Marocco Chiefs (BMC) at Otjiwarongo before he joined Orlando Pirates in Windhoek.
It was during his time at Pirates that Nauseb was called up to the national under-23 team that beat Lesotho 1-0 in an Olympic Games preliminary round match with his goal.
“The game was threatening to finish goalless when I got injured towards the end. We had already used up all our required substitutes when I got injured.
“Coach Peter Ueberjahn wanted me to get off the field, but I insisted on playing and asked them to bandage the ankle,” he remembers.
“It turned out to be one of my best football decisions, because I scored the only goal of the match while literally hopping on the pitch.
“For me it was all about securing a win for my nation, and Ueberjahn decided to promote me to the senior national team there and then.”
Nauseb played for Civics when the glamour boys of Soweto, Kaizer Chiefs, came knocking.
Titus Kunamwene, a former Civics official, had a good working relationship with late ‘Screamer’ Tshabalala who was the sport director of Chiefs and was looking for a specialised right wing-back.
Titus recommended Nauseb to him, and Tshabalala came to watch the Cosafa Cup match between Namibia and South Africa.
He was seemingly impressed because he decided to return to Johannesburg with Nauseb, who still had to impress the Chiefs coach back home.
“I trained with the star-studded Chiefs from Monday, and on Wednesday the coach approved that I be signed. I enjoyed a very successful career with the Amakhosi, and I won the Rothman’s Cup and the Vodacom Challenge with the team,” the former rampant winger says.
“But all good things must come to an end, and I was released by the club to Hellenic in the year they went on to win their historic CAF Confederations Cup, which was previously known as the Cup Winners Cup against Interclube of Angola in 2001.”
The transfer came as a surprise for the winger, because he was always in the starting line-up throughout his time at Chiefs.
Nauseb also tried playing rugby at Otjiwarongo, but his rugby dreams were limited to only a match after one vicious tackle.
“I had a very wonderful spell with the Brave Warriors. I was called up while still at Pirates. I earned 59 caps for the senior national team, and I have contributed a tally of 11 goals, which is impressive given that I was a winger. I mastered that position perfectly,” he says.
“Playing in the 98 Afcon in Burkina Faso was definitely the highlight of my career. I can boldly say I played my best football in Bobo-Dioulasso, where our group matches were played.
“I scored two during our three-all draw with Angola, but missed a chance to score our fourth.”
Nauseb, who represented the country in the Afcon, Cosafa Cup, and World Cup qualifiers, as well as at Olympic Games qualifiers, says his other memorable match for Namibia was when he also netted a goal during Namibia’s 8-2 demolition of Benin in Windhoek.
He says his biggest regret as a football player was that he was not able to secure a professional contract to play football beyond the continent.
“I attended trials in Norway, Türkiye and the United Kingdom, but nothing came of it. In England, Sunderland could not sign me because of Namibia’s poor ranking.
“In both Türkiye and Norway it could not make the grade, because of the limitations on foreign players,” he says.
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Work, Family
Nauseb has six children and is the head coach of Unam FC, who are campaigning in the Namibian Premier Football League.
“I spend most of my mornings planning and working on formations for my team. My dream is to qualify Unam for the CAF Champions League and to be sitting on the bench of my team opposite some of the other top coaches on the African continent,” he says.
“My coaching career started in the development structures of Rygersdal FC in Cape Town, before I took charge of the Benoni High School team from where I was recruited by Wits University to coach their under-17 team until I obtained my first coaching licence.”
Nauseb mentions his father, Yster, a no-nonsense defender with BMC in his heydays, as the person who had the most influence on his football career.
The retired winger advises young players to refrain from drugs, “because drugs have destroyed many good players”.
“Focus on your education and respect your God-given talent by refraining from alcohol and drugs,” he says.
