Radebe proves a hit in city

FORMER South African, Kaizer Chiefs and Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe was a hit among dozens of children and admirers in Windhoek last weekend.

He took some youngsters through the basics of the game at a coaching clinic as part of his first visit to Namibia, while he was swamped by fans as he dished out autographs. Radebe was in Namibia on a special invitation by First National Bank to witness the final of the coveted FNB Cup, which was won by Blue Waters at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.At the coaching clinic for children between the ages of 10 and 15, Radebe had only one message: “If you want to play in Europe or anywhere else, only discipline can get you there.You must take education very seriously; you need to know what you want to become in life and if you are disciplined, education will come easily.”Radebe also taught the children some football skills and techniques ranging from dribbling to passing, spacing, ball control and being a team player.He instilled in them the dynamics of discipline on and off the field at a young age and how such discipline will play a fundamental role in their professional football careers.At the same time, football lovers and fans got him to sign autographs on all types of surfaces, while some even offered him money as a token of appreciation for the impact he made in African football and for being such a humble internationally acclaimed footballer.Radebe, according to FNB spokesperson Cassius Moetie, does not only represent South African footballers, but thousands of disadvantaged, young and upcoming footballers.During his two-day visit, Radebe also addressed the media and assisted at the post-match presentations after the final of the competition.Moetie said Radebe is planning to bring a ‘Lucas Radebe Invitational’ team to play against the Brave Warriors as part of the 2006 edition of the FNB Cup.Radebe was in Namibia on a special invitation by First National Bank to witness the final of the coveted FNB Cup, which was won by Blue Waters at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.At the coaching clinic for children between the ages of 10 and 15, Radebe had only one message: “If you want to play in Europe or anywhere else, only discipline can get you there.You must take education very seriously; you need to know what you want to become in life and if you are disciplined, education will come easily.”Radebe also taught the children some football skills and techniques ranging from dribbling to passing, spacing, ball control and being a team player.He instilled in them the dynamics of discipline on and off the field at a young age and how such discipline will play a fundamental role in their professional football careers.At the same time, football lovers and fans got him to sign autographs on all types of surfaces, while some even offered him money as a token of appreciation for the impact he made in African football and for being such a humble internationally acclaimed footballer.Radebe, according to FNB spokesperson Cassius Moetie, does not only represent South African footballers, but thousands of disadvantaged, young and upcoming footballers.During his two-day visit, Radebe also addressed the media and assisted at the post-match presentations after the final of the competition.Moetie said Radebe is planning to bring a ‘Lucas Radebe Invitational’ team to play against the Brave Warriors as part of the 2006 edition of the FNB Cup.