Dumisa Jantze: The diminutive former midfield maestro

The person who coined the expression that dynamite comes in small packages must have had former national team stocky, free-scoring midfield dynamo Gabriel ‘Dumiza’ Jantze in mind.

History will remember the retired star for more than just his sublime ball skills; despite his small stature, he made scoring look effortless.

The much-travelled star has played league football in at least four countries – Namibia, Angola, South Africa and an overseas stint in Germany.

Renowned for the power in his right foot, Mariental-born and raised Jantze played for Civics, Eleven Arrows, Ramblers and Tigers in the Namibian Premier League. He also spent a season in the South African First Division outfit FC AK.

“I am completely happy with the little I received during what I can proudly call a very colourful football career. I have won two leagues with two different teams while I have also clinched two Namibia Football Association (NFA) Cup trophies with two different teams,” Jantze says.

“Joining Tigers was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I really felt like a prince with the Shandumbala Boys. I felt proud and everybody treated me well, from my teammates, technical team, executive committee and especially the supporters.”

Jantze won the premier league with Tigers, but his team had to be content with the runners-up spot in the NFA Cup final when Ingweinyama succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the final contested at Rundu.

Jantjze, who describes himself as a tactical and skillful player during his heyday, won the 2005-06 league with Civics and the Leo NFA Cup with Arrows.

But before these achievements, the pint-sized midfielder started playing organised football at Mariental Primary School, before he moved on to Empelheim Junior Secondary School, where he joined local Hardap Second Division Black Marocco Chiefs (BMC).

It was during his BMC years that the midfielder was first called up to the Namibia Schools Sport Union (NSSU) under-19 team. The team participated in the Helsinki Cup in Finland and the Gothia Cup in Sweden in 2000, under coaches Max Johnson and Bernard Kaanjuka.

He returned to the NSSU team in 2001, but this time they participated in the Sweden and Danish Cup.

The gifted youngster was also part of the Brian Isaacs-led junior national team that represented the country at the Cosafa Cup in South Africa in 2002. cCoaches Rusten Mogane and the late Seth ‘Orlando’ Boois did not leave him out when they announced their under-25 team.

“It was only appropriate that I would be elevated to the Brave Warriors squad after impressing at junior levels and that day finally arrived for me when the NFA hired the late Ted Dumitru as the national team coach,” Jantze says.

“Athough I was still too young to get a starting berth, I was just too happy to learn from the senior players. Dumitru himself explained to me that he called me to learn and grow from more experienced stars like Mohammed Ouseb, Robert Nauseb and Ricardo Mannetti.”

As a result, the ex-Mariental junior sportsman of the year received many call-ups, but only played on eight occasions. He made his debut during the 2-1 win over Madagascar.

Jantze, who claimed the top goalscorer of the year award during the 1999 Pepsi Cup for southern schools, was so confident that he kicked from the centre circle.

“I was someone who hated to lose and I would always fight until the very end while I was still on the football pitch. I was just born with the fighting spirit because I was very competitive on the athletics track during my school days. I fought until the final whistle.”

At primary school Jantze tried cricket but athletics was always his second love after football.

“I was participating in track and field and I did almost everything from the sprints up to the long jump, high jump, discus, javelin and shot put,” he says.

“My specialty was the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints. I was the fastest at my school but it was a different ball game during the regionals because the other boys from the other schools were much faster.”

Jantze, a winner of the Namibian Newspaper Cup which he won with the Hardap region against their counterparts from Kavongo, also won the Aids Cup with BMC.

The midfielder spent a season with the Ali Akan-coached FC AK, winning the South African National First Division Inland Stream, but he returned at the end of the season because the players did not receive their salaries for five months.

Upon his return to Windhoek, he attended Civics’ practice, aiming to impress coach Mannetti so he could be re-signed by the Bethlehem Boys. However, his stay with Civics was restricted to only a friendly match against Angolan giants Primeiro de Agosto.

“I must have made a big impression during the match because I was told afterwards that another Angolan giant outfit Sagrada Esperanca, who had a scout at the match, showed their interest in me and they decided to sign me then and there. I couldn’t contain my excitement,” he notes.

Jantjze also enjoyed spells with Progresso Associacao and Bravos do Maquis for only one season, despite it being an excellent one.

He believes he made a lasting impression because he was scoring goals and everybody was happy.

Jantze was also sent off to Germany by former Tigers coach Jakes Amaning where he spent four years playing trials and for lower divisions teams like Borussia Freialdenhofen, GFC Dueren, MSV Duisburg, Rot Weiss Oberhausen and Tuss Schmidt.

However, his height was a deterrent to being signed by a Bundesliga outfit.

Jantze, who has two children, is currently playing for the Omema Legends over-40s social club team dominating the Omema Soccer Tournament.

Equipped with an introductory level coaching licence, Jantze was an assistant coach to fellow Namibian football legend Quinton ‘Magic’ Jacobs at the Mariental Sports Club.

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