The Otjiwarongo-born star converted to a defender when he lost his goalkeeper spot to the more gifted John Sabbatha.
“I started off as a goalkeeper during my primary school days from Standard 1 to 5. In fact, I was still a goalkeeper when I went to Paresis Secondary, and I am grateful to my former teacher and school football team coach Herman Katjiuonga who advised me to play in defence.
“He advised me to try out in the defence in 1990, and by 1991 I was developing into a good defender already,” he says.
Gariseb started playing for a school team called Brazil as a fullback, but the turning point came in 1991 when his school played against a star-studded Okakarara Technical Institute team.
“Paresis was a player short and I was called upon to play in the defence and, like they say, the rest is history, because I went on to cement my place in the left central defence spot.”
He started training with northern first division outfit Black Marocco Chiefs (BMC) but not after he first approached former Orlando Pirates midfield maestro Axab ‘General’ Auchamp to take him to Pirates as he wanted to join the Katutura giants.
But as destiny would map it out, Auchamp would later regret seeing him shining in the colours of African Stars in 1991.
His progress on club level didn’t go unnoticed as he attracted the attention of the junior national team coach who drafted him into the under-19 team that lost in the final of the Helsinki Cup in Finland in 1992, while he also travelled with the under-20 side to Westphalia, Germany.
“I didn’t take very long before I, alongside my under-20 teammates like Sylvester ‘Lolo’ Goraseb and Ricardo ‘Bucksy’ Mannetti, got called up to the Brave Warriors squad. I must admit I had a wonderful time playing for the national team.
“Playing for the national teams also enhanced my personal game greatly and besides the travelling that comes with it, I have met people and players who I only admired on television before I played against them, and even beat them on the football pitch,” he says.
Gariseb mentions the Cosafa Cup match against South Africa, which saw Namibia defeat their more fancied opponents 3-2 in Windhoek in 1998 and the African Nations Cup maiden match against continental giants Ivory Coast as his two most memorable international matches.
Says Gariseb: “I am particularly impressed with the way I have bottled Phillemon ‘Chippa’ Masinga of Bafana Bafana at Independence Stadium in Windhoek. Masinga was one of the most-feared strikers on the continent and had a very intimidating physique as well.
“But the match of my life is definitely our group opening match against the feared Elephants of Ivory Coast in Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. It was our first appearance at the Afcon and I had the daunting task of marking Joel Tiehi, who played for Toulouse in France at the time.”
The match against Bafana Bafana was famously sealed with a sudden death goal by former Chief Santos striker Berlin Augumeb, while the Brave Warriors reversed a 3-0 half-time deficit to level the match 3-all in the second half only to go down 3-4 to the Elephants.
Gariseb also enjoyed a three-year stint with FC Penzberg in the lower divisions of Germany.
Before that, his football prowess also saw him going for trials at Giyani-based Dynamos in the South African Premier Soccer League, but unfortunately things didn’t go his way despite positive reviews from Leefa Qosha and late Zimbabwean midfielder Benjamin Konjera.
Gariseb, who says he regrets never having signed a big professional football contract, won the Caltex Under-20 Cup with his region, while he also annexed the Coca-Cola Cup with Paresis Secondary School in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
He played in both legs of the Cosafa Cup final against Angola and in 1999, which saw the Brave Warriors losing 1-0 in Luanda, while they gave away a 1-0 lead in Windhoek to draw the match 1-all.
A winner of the Namibia Premier League with Tigers in 1994, they lost the BP Top Eight final against bitter-rivals Liverpool and the NFA Cup final against Black Africa.
WORK, FAMILY
The retired defence stalwart, who is the father of one daughter, is employed in the water and sewerage department of the Municipality of Otjiwarongo.
“I have been employed by the Municipality of Otjiwarongo for 14 years now. I am a general worker in the water and sewerage department. My duties here are to unblock drains, while I am also tasked to do some plumbing work, like installing and repairing broken taps and pipes.
“The plumbing job can be really stressful,” he says.
Gariseb plans to start his own youth development academy “in order to plough back what he learnt from football”.
The former Stars player, who also speaks highly of former Brave Warriors Peter ‘Corporal’ Ueberjahn for always trusting in his abilities as a footballer, says he is thankful for what football did for him, while also acknowledging the roles Lesley Kozonguizi and Patrick Kauta of Stars played in his development as a national team player.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
