Spotlight On – Ronald Ketjijere

Brave Warriors captain Ronald Ketjijere is a member of a small breed of educated sportsmen – he has represented and captained his country at the highest level, while he also recently completed his Law degree and will graduate later this year. Ketjijere, who is also a professional player with the South African Premier League side Pretoria University, spent some time in Namibia following the Brave Warriors’ triumph in the Cosafa Cup and spoke to Helge Schutz of the Namibian Sport’s desk.

How was the experience of winning the Cosafa Cup title for the first time?

It was an exciting experience. It’s been a long time since the Warriors have won and going all the way and lifting the trophy in the Cosafa Cup was really an awesome feeling. We made the nation proud and gave them something to smile about, so at least we got the nation back behind the team which is very important.

How was the reception you received at State House?

It was awesome – not everyone gets invited to State House so it was something special for us as players and we really appreciate what the head of state did for us, just to go there and have lunch with him. Then to top it up he rewarded us with N$50 000 each, so if we continue winning and bringing glory to the nation, good things will happen afterwards. Maybe rewards like that will also be coming if we qualify for the African Cup of Nations, so the pressure is on us as players to deliver. When you get into that winning form you don’t want to stop so I hope it continues.

You lost your opening match in the Afcon 2017 campaign 1-0 against Niger in Niamey. Tell us about that game and do you think you can still qualify for Afcon 2017?

It’s always tough to play in west Africa. The conditions were not favourable but we can’t use that as an excuse. We went there and had a good game, we created a few chances, which we couldn’t take and then they got a penalty. We felt it was a bit dubious because it was ball to hand and the arm was in the natural position, but it was the referee’s decision and we couldn’t do anything about it. We created a few chances but we need to be very clinical especially when we play away from home, we can’t miss chances after chances. But all is not lost – they still have to travel to Namibia and I think we have a good squad that can pull off a good result at home.

You’ve been with the national team since making your debut against Botswana in 2010, but its only now that you have managed to win a trophy. What do you think is different from this squad compared to previous ones?

The difference is the unity in the team and the team spirit – these are the things that kept us going. In previous years we had a lot of big name players but they don’t always fit in very well. Now we have a very young squad and it’s also easy for us leaders in the team to manage because they are young and there are no egos or attitude problems. Everyone listens and everyone goes with what the team is saying, so it’s more about team work than anything else. The unity is there, the spirit is there and those are the little changes that came with this upcoming squad. They are very disciplined and they want to play – they are young and energetic and they listen to the coaches instructions. So those were the key attributes that also helped us to win the Cosafa Cup.

One on One with Ronald Ketjijere

When and where were you born?

In Otjiwarongo on 12 December 1987.

Schools:

Okakarara Primary and Secondary Schools.

Tertiary education:

I completed my B Juris at Unam and my LLB at the University of Pretoria.

Who had a big influence on you as a youngster?

My mother. She was a teacher at Okakarara Primary School and was a role model for me. She was very disciplined and taught me everything from a young age. Others who had a big influence on me were my teachers at Okakara, Mr Upi, who’s now coaching the national u-20 team and Mr Kashiku, who’s now a governor. They all guided me to study law. At first I was not admitted for law and I was thinking of studying agriculture, but they said no, you have the potential to do better. So I redid some subjects with Namcol and was eventually allowed to do law the second time around. So they also played a huge role in my life and I think they will be proud that I’m becoming a lawyer now.

What’s your favourite team?

Manchester United.

Favourite player?

Xavi Hernandes.

Favourite Namibian player?

Mohammed Ouseb – he was one of the most talented players that I’ve seen from Namibia.

What was your best performance?

It was a Leo NFA Cup semifinal match for African Stars against Black Africa in Gobabis. I had a great game, I was expressing myself defensively and offensively and I even scored a goal.

Pasta, chicken and Greek Salad, and kola tonic and lemonade.

Favourite music?

I enjoy House music and traditional Herero music. On Sundays I like listening to golden oldies like Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and Phil Collins.