FORMER Chelsea, African Stars and Liverpool deadly striker Dawid Boeta Mungunda was one of the most exciting young strikers Namibia has ever produced.
In fact, the retired cool as a cucumber goal poacher is probably one of the country’s most prolific strikers who never got the chance to play for the Namibian national team.
He was called up by former Brave Warriors coach Shepherd Murape but he never got to play for his country after a nasty injury sustained in a car accident forced him to hang up his boots.
Known for his deadly instinct in front of the goal and lightning speed and deft touches on the ball as he waltzed through bamboozled opposition defences, the Mariental-born star was definitely one of the most sought-after strikers of his generation.
Mungunda started his education journey at Makalani Primary School before he went to Frederick Awaseb Junior Secondary School, both at Grootfontein, where he moved with his grandpa before his first birthday. He also attended Oshikoto Secondary School.
An exceptional sprinter until his secondary school days, the former striker starred in the star-studded Otjikoto school team alongside former Blue Waters feared forward Striker Muaine, Chief Santos Lucky Kakuva, Eleven Arrows Stanley ‘Stakes’ Louw and his former Chelsea teammate and goalie Timo ‘Cool Cat’ Xoaseb.
FOOTBALL JOURNEY
“My football journey started at Grootfontein, where I first played for Poison Arrows. I played alongside outstanding senior players like maestro Poriro Upingasana, Curtis Tjizepa, and the sharpshooting Neumann brothers Richard and Bernhard.
“I then went on to play for cross-town rivals Dynamos together with Doctor Hishiko and Steven ‘Madigage’ Damaseb. We played against Chelsea who only managed to beat us with a solitary goal in a tournament at Otjiwarongo and the next day they approached me to join them,” he says.
However, Mungunda’s career took a new turn, after he was convinced by his brother Edu Kharigub, who played for African Stars at the time, to join him at the Windhoek outfit.
He was jobless at the time and had very little to do at home back in Grootfontein. Therefore, it came as a huge relief after Stars approached him.
Mungunda, who wants to be remembered as a self-assured, calm and composed goalscorer, enjoyed a very eventful season at African Stars, where he formed an exciting front-line with the sharpshooting Jackson ‘Kotjuuro’ Meroro and late dribbling wizard Alfred ‘Juku’ Jjazuko.
But it was with his home town club Chelsea that the rampant forward enjoyed the most successful stint of his career when they lifted the Namibian National Soccer League in 1986.
He also finished second after Young Ones speedy and ruthless striker Kosie Springbok on the goal scorers’ chart that season.
“I was surrounded by football giants at Chelsea,” exclaims Mungunda. “Strong, powerful and gifted footballers who had a winning mindset. Mediocrity and loafing was never in the DNA of a Chelsea player and there was absolutely no room for laziness.
“The approach at Stars was a little laid back. The build-ups were slow and patient. At Chelsea, we ran the opposition ragged. Our game was based on speed, power and endurance. You didn’t have any chance if you were not fit enough. That was the Chelsea way of play.”
He cannot help but smile when he speaks fondly about the club’s superstar Anton ‘Orlando’ Damaseb, the late free-kick specialists Daniel ‘Pieces’ Damaseb, winger Eric ‘Richo’ Francis and the late sweeper Elvis Tsandib.
RETIRED
The retired striker also enjoyed a very successful stint with Okahandja-based Liverpool where he was coached by South African football legend Mlungisi ‘Professor’ Ngubane.
Mugunda, who is still mourning the death of his wife Elizabeth Mungunda, is back at Grootfontein where he is now living with his granddaughter.
He has 13 children (eight daughters and five sons) age between 36 and 12 years.
A product of the Patrick Iyambo Police Training Centre, he served in the Namibian Police where his last rank was detective warrant class 1.
“I completed my police training in 1990. I first worked as a police constable at Grootfontein before I was eventually posted to Okahandja where I worked for six years. In-between, I would also go and work at the roadblock between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
“I completed my specialised criminal investigations course in ’98 while stationed at Otavi, but I only got appointed as a detective in 2001. Now that is one of the challenges we have to face as police officers – to be appointed in your rightful position on time,” he says.
Mungunda, who was the commander of the Dordabis Police Station as well, said it is a very huge responsibility to be an investigation officer.
“You have to be on point with your investigations, and time is very valuable because you have to wrap up your investigations and send them to court on time. Otherwise the cases will be postponed because of unfinished investigations and later be thrown out.
“There are a lot of challenges the police are facing. The delays can also come from the scarcity of vehicles because you are required to be mobile while following leads and travelling to other towns to gather evidence from people in other towns,” he explains.
He points out that no matter the challenges, you have to finish your investigations in a specific time because delays can also count against your bid for promotion. He adds that the constables at the police station only have to deal with members of the public who go to the charge office.
The former Liverpool player of the year names former Chelsea teammate Markus Damaseb, as the one person who had the biggest influence on his career, together with his uncle Orlando Damaseb who also gave him his nickname ‘Scorer’.
Mungunda, who was considered as one of the most accurate shooters of the ball during his heyday, said he practised his shooting a lot during his free time.
