NAMIBIAN international forward Rudolf Bester collected a historic third winner’s medal of the season when Orlando Pirates were crowned Absa Premiership champions on Saturday.
Along with the Premiership crown, Pirates have already won the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout honours this term.Bester joins the exclusive class of former Brave Warriors stalwarts Ricardo Mannetti and Ronnie Kanalelo as the only Namibians to have won the South African Premier Soccer League since its inception in 1996.However Mannetti (Santos), Kanalelo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Mohammed Ouseb and Robert Nauseb (Kaizer Chiefs) as well as Sydney Plaatjies (Moroka Swallows) have also won various SA cup competitions over the past few years. And according Mannetti, now a Brave Warriors assistant coach, Bester should savour the moment.’It’s a special moment to win the league. It’s a priceless feeling,’ said Mannetti. ‘We are very proud of what Bester has achieved. He deserves it.’While he has not been a regular for Pirates, the lively but injury-plagued winger has weighed in with two goals in all competitions – one of which was a thumping stoppage-time match winner against Jomo Cosmos last month that kept Pirates in the hunt for their second successive league triumph.All in all, Bester has played in 16 matches for the Buccaneers, including two pre-season outings against English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs. ‘He has not played as much but he has contributed to the success of the team. I always tell my players, especially the youngsters, that the reason the world’s top players wake up every day is not just to make money but to create history and get medals. ‘To win a medal is the best reward for any player in the world,’ said Mannetti.
