Former hot midfielder now entrepreneur

Born and bred at Tsumeb, Ndyenge was an influential player in his beloved Chief Santos and various national teams.

“I was not someone who gave up easily . . . Maybe it was the mentality we became accustomed to at Chief Santos, because we would never stop trying, even with only 10 minutes remaining.

“I had a never-say-die attitude which suited my game very well at Santos. I also had a very positive outlook on the outcome of matches,” he says.

The athletic-built winger started playing football for the all-conquering St Francis (Roman Catholic) Primary School under-nine team at the tender age of seven, where he was coached by the current Namibian ambassador to Tanzania, Lebbeus Tobias.

“My senior football career started off in the most unthinkable fashion.

“It was funny, in 1997 I started training with Benfica, and it was obvious because my father Mathias ‘Puma’ Shinuna was also a star defender with the former Metropolitan Cup champions.

“I caught the eyes of the Chief Santos coaches at theThe NamibianNewspaper Cup in 1999, but it was going to be a challenge because I was only 17 at the time. My luck turned after I was called up to the under-17 national team,” he says.

Ndyenge says at the time a player had to play in the premier league to be called up for the junior national teams.

He received his dream switch to Santos on that score, albeit on a loan spell, because Benfica were relegated to the national first division at the time.

He got promoted to the under-19 national team before the Namibia Football Association and the Namibia National Schools Union joined hands to field a unified under-20 side that went on to represent the country at the Gothia Cup in Sweden.

“We had a very strong team which comprised top-class young players like Riaan Cloete, Rudie Louw, Robert Nanuseb and Ivan Namaseb, and we also participated in the highly popular match-up against our counterparts from Westphalia in Germany.

“Those matches against Westphalia were the catalysts of future Brave Warriors teams, and they exposed our young players to top-class competition against the well-groomed young German talent. Some people would say they were like manna from heaven,” he says.

It was not long before the former midfielder-cum-winger was called up to his first training camp with the senior national team in 2006, and although it was initially only touch and go, he became an integral part of the Brave Warriors between 2008 and 2010.

“I made my debut for the senior national team during an international friendly game that we lost 2-1 after an own goal by Hartman Toromba against India in 2009. But my first official match was an African Cup of Nations qualifier against The Gambia in 2010.

“We lost the first leg preliminary round tie 3-1 in Banjul, but we reversed the score with an emphatic 3-0 win during the return leg in Windhoek to qualify for the group stages of the prestigious continental competition,” Ndyenge says.

His exceptional performances in the famous orange and green of Santos didn’t go unnoticed as he was invited to train with the famous Yebo Yes United FC, which is the development and feeder club for South African Premier Soccer League giants Orlando Pirates.

There he was training under the watchful eyes of Pirates legends Shoes Lushozi and Johannes ‘Yster’ Khomane in the company of Lebogang Mokoena, Lelo Mbele, and the late Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.

However, his six-month stay in South Africa didn’t yield a professional contract, and, luckily for him, he was offered a sport and leisure recreation management scholarship by Chesterfield College in England, which he could not turn down.

“The scholarship was made possible by the twinning between Tsumeb and Chesterfield, which resulted in the establishment of the Chesterfield Tsumeb Association offering the scholarship between 2004 and 2008.

“I was fortunate to play for both the college and Chesterfield FC, who are campaigning in English League Two. What I have learnt during my four-year stay in the United Kingdom is invaluable, and it is the reason why I am what I am today – self-employed.”

WORK, FAMILY

The former winger married his wife, Kelly, in 2015, and the couple has five children.

Ndyenge is the proud owner of the exciting 6mo9 Sportswear & Activewear Africa.

He says despite the glitz and glamour that comes with being a specialised entrepreneur there will always be challenges when building a brand.

“A customer would just tell you they want a T-shirt, thinking you know their size. I have learnt in the past 10 years in the clothing business that people don’t even know their own sizes. It’s a daunting task to tailormake something,” he says.

Ndyenge, who is also a fitness trainer at several gyms across the country, says young, aspiring footballers should stay relevant.

“Create the arrogance that will make you last longer. Remain humble, but don’t be trampled. Stay relevant. It is a lifestyle. Stay updated.”