Namibian forward Urio Hijambazapo is entering a new chapter of his football career after recently making the move to Cwmbran Celtic FC, who compete in the Ardal League South East, the third tier of Welsh football.
The 25-year-old, who is based in Birmingham, England, has spent several years developing his career in the English football system. His previous clubs include Sturridge Football Academy, Bilston Town FC, Sutton United Birmingham, Birmingham United, Lane Head FC, Highgate United and Tividale FC.
Hijambazapo says he has already had Tier 1 professional clubs monitoring his progress, with the possibility of making a move in the future.
Hijambazapo now becomes the second Namibian playing in the Welsh football league system this season, after Alex-Romio Kenamuinjo joined a Welsh Premier League club a month earlier.
“It is a great opportunity for me to continue developing and prove that I can compete at a higher level.”
Although the season has only recently started, Hijambazapo has already made a positive impression. Before the official start of the season, he featured in a pre-season game where he played a number of minutes and contributed five goal contributions – two goals and three assists.
His performance has impressed the fans, with them leaving positive comments about the forward on the club’s social media post.
“Hearing those comments gave me even more motivation to keep working and proving myself,” Hijambazapo says.
As a forward, he draws inspiration from Peter Shalulile, whom he has followed since his time at Highlands Park. He says he admires the Namibian striker’s hunger, work rate, movement and determination to score.
“He’s someone I’ve watched closely and taken inspiration from,” Hijambazapo says.
The forward also has ambitions of representing Namibia and hopes to bring the same hunger and desire to the national team if given the opportunity.
“I want to work hard, make an impact and hopefully get close to, if not surpass, his goalscoring record for the national team. I believe I have the capacity to do so, but my main focus would be earning that opportunity,” he says.
Thierry Henry is another major influence on his game. Hijambazapo says he admires the former France and Arsenal striker’s movement, finishing and overall approach to football.
He says he studies Henry’s performances and tries to incorporate some of those qualities into his own game while continuing to develop his own identity as a player.
His journey has not been without challenges. One of the biggest difficulties, according to Hijambazapo, has been deciding which opportunities are best for his long-term development.
“One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right balance when it comes to choosing the next step in my career,” he says.
He believes players must carefully consider whether a move will genuinely help them develop rather than focusing only on the immediate opportunity.
“For me, it is important to make decisions that allow me to develop, gain valuable experience and continue progressing as a player,” he says.
Despite being based in England, Hijambazapo continues to follow Namibian football closely, particularly the Young Warriors.
He believes there is plenty of potential within the current generation of young Namibian players and says he will also be following the Brave Warriors during their African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
“Representing my country is something I would love to achieve one day, but I believe everything happens in God’s timing,” he says.
His family has also remained an important source of support throughout his football journey. While acknowledging that people can have different opinions when a player is still working towards the highest level, Hijambazapo says the encouragement from his close family members has helped him remain focused on his goals.
“The belief and encouragement from my close family members has always been there. Their support has helped me stay focused and continue pursuing my goals,” he says.
