‘Safe’ Ochurub, the player-coach who made Chelsea tick

Former Chelsea and Dobra High School midfield kingpin Anton ‘Safe’ Ochurub is one of Namibia’s unsung football heroes.

Apart from dictating the play in the heart of the exciting Grootfontein outfit’s engine room, he was also the person responsible for the devastating brand of football Chelsea dished out on match day.

“I was the player-coach of Chelsea ever since I joined them in 1979. But before I take all the praise, Chelsea had exceptionally talented players who were all maestros in their position. They were a talented bunch who were easily coachable.

“The secret of Chelsea’s success was the devastating attacking trio of Richo and his cousin Tiger Francis, who terrorised the opposition defenders from the flanks. Completing the attack was the unplayable Orlando Damaseb, who made scoring goals look so easy,” Ochurub says.

The midfield also consisted of three stars: George Nawatiseb, Pieces Damaseb, and Ochurub, dictating the pace of the team from the centre.

The backline was led by the lightning fast Lazarus Augumeb, with the rock solid Kid Naobeb on the right while Elvis Tsandib, who could out-dribble some of the country’s top strikers, claimed his permanent spot at left-back.

Later on, the team roped in dribbling wizard Lourentius Afrikaner from Outjo, who’s seamless displays in the Chelsea midfield won him the hearts of my football fans around the country.

“It was easy to coach Chelsea. There was almost nothing you could tell any player during a match. In fact, the players had a telepathic understanding and they could even play with their eyes closed, but they would know where his teammate was,” Ochurub says.

“Chelsea was no ordinary team. All eleven players in the team were match winners. They were super fit, they could dribble, they could pass the ball accurately, not to mention the power in their legs. All three Chelsea forwards were every goalkeeper’s nightmare.”

The only problem with Chelsea, as Ochurub explains, is the fact that they only had 13 very talented players.

He says the lack of depth caused the team’s downfall, because they clung to the same players for too long.

“I would say we actually failed ourselves by not integrating young players gradually into the team. Our mistake probably was that we thought anyone coming on board should be at the same level as the starting 11 or better,” Ochurub says.

“New players joining the team were even asked where they wanted to play because all the positions were occupied by irreplaceable stars. That was also the main reason why the team failed to maintain its top status after the majority of the old guard went into retirement.”

Although Chelsea won the inaugural Namibian National Soccer League, a breakaway league from the South West Africa Football Association in the mid-1980s, it is actually hard to believe that the Grootfontein outfit lacked the same consistency in the major cups.

Despite all the fear they installed in their opponents, Ochurub’s Chelsea only have two Mainstay Cup finals appearances to brag about, although they have won numerous smaller tournaments.

They have, however, contributed consistently to the quota of pre-independence South West Africa sides that participated in the Currie Cup provincial tournament in South Africa, with players like Pieces Damaseb, Richo Francis, Orlando Damaseb and Dave Ameb.

The former Mariabronn Primary School pupil also had the last laugh in 2005 when he coached the Otjozondjupa team to their Namibian Newspaper Cup success thanks to a 1-0 win over Hardap in the final at Mariental.

Ochurub, who was born on a farm in the maize triangle, developed his football skills at the unofficial Namibian football school of excellence St Joseph’s, as Dobra is officially known, where he first ended up playing in the second team.

“We eventually upgraded to the first team where we shared the changeroom with the likes of Max Johnson, Joseph Martin, Samani Kamerika, Xarab Gariseb and the late paramount chief of Ovaherero Vekuii Rukoro.

“Playing for the first time booked me a spot on the school’s first team.”

Although he was not among the fortunate players who featured for South West Africa before independence, Ochurub was definitely one of the fortunate ones who were able to coach the various junior national teams at international competitions outside Namibian borders.

“I was very busy during my tenure as chief regional officer for Otjozondjupa. If I was not conducting workshops and coaching clinics for Namibian children, I was overseas with the national under-20 competing at the Gothia Cup and Helsinki Cup in Sweden and Finland.

“Those were really trying times, because I had to work alone from Okahandja to Tsumkwe. It’s only now that the youth and sport ministry appointed a few more people to ease the pardon.

“I was also coaching the under-19 team at the Balls Games in South Africa,” he says.

ENJOYING RETIREMENT

Ochurub, who celebrates his 70th birthday next year, and his wife, Anna, got married in 2016 and they are both enjoying their retirement at their Grootfontein home.

He is urging football players to work hard and hone their craft, “because they have more opportunity than most of us had”.

“At least they are paid and they sleep in hotels and bungalows, while we used to sleep in cars and camped in classrooms back in the days.

“There is money involved now. The players must bring their part and make their clubs and coaches happy. I mean, the teams even buy their players soccer boots these days.”

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.