There comes a time you have to work for a living – Diergaardt

FORMER Namibian footballer Floris ‘Phinda Mzala’ Diergaardt (40) will be remembered as one of the finest headers of the ball of his generation.

He followed a glittering career that saw him turning out in the colours of Young Ones FC, Civics FC, and the senior Namibian national team – the Brave Warriors.

Diergaardt also had a short spell at South African professional outfit Ajax Cape Town after his return from Germany where he, together with former Brave Warriors captain Colin Benjamin, played for Germania Schnelsen in the German lower divisions.

He made a name for himself as a lethal striker with his boyhood club Young Ones, before he joined the all-conquering Civics after his return from South Africa, where he played for Avendale Athletico FC in the national first division from 2001 to 2002.

Diergaardt is nicknamed ‘Phinda Mzala’ after former Moroka Swallows FC striker because of his aerial prowess at both the Dube Birds and his former club Arcadia Shepherds.

His football style was simple, but effective.

“It was a roller-coaster ride if I look back. You were good in one aspect, good enough to play for teams like Ajax Cape Town, Young Ones and Civics. I was someone who was always there for the team. I was also captain . . . I was a friend for my teammates. I was not a fancy player but people noticed me on the football pitch. I think that is the reason I also represented from the junior nationals teams to the Brave Warriors,” he says.

Today, Diergaardt married to his childhood girlfriend, Adilene, and has three children.

He works as a customer service sales executive at telecommunications company Paratus Namibia, a position he had been occupying for the last two-and-a-half years.

“After spending more than 11 years at MTC Namibia, where I also worked as a call-centre adviser, I took up this new job with Paratus. You know . . . there comes a time in every man’s life that you have to work for a living.

“I was only 25 years old when I started working to supplement my meagre football salary. I was fortunate to have a mentor like Amos Shiyuka, who had a very big influence on my career. He told me to think beyond football, because it is a very short career.”

In between his jobs with MTC Namibia and Paratus Namibia, Diergaardt was also a senior private secretary for minister of state enterprises Leon Jooste.

BALANCING ACT

How does Dtergaardt balance working and being a father?

“Sometimes there is a lot of travelling involved at work, which is not ideal. However, to give my children and wife attention is very important. Last year was very tough for the children with the advent of Covid-19.

The former prolific scorer says he had to grow up before his time, because he was only 19 when he joined Ajax Cape Town in 2000 after he returned from Germany where he and Colin Benjamin played for Germania Schnelsen in the German 5th division.

Diergaardt says being a striker was always his favourite position.

He notched up 27 caps for the Brave Warriors for whom he has only scored a single goal, as he was usually deployed as a lone striker – a role he mastered to perfection.

He played against countries like Algeria, Angola, Chad, Ivory Coast, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Diergaardt says former African Stars star defender Steven Mbaisa and retired Orlando Pirates hard man Richard Gariseb were his toughest opponents on club level.

And he has the highest regard for his two coaches at Young Ones, Nose Morgendrot and Otto Landsberg.

Diergaardt also coaches Delta School’s under-15 team.

“I am just too happy to work with Delta School’s under-15 boys. They are very enthusiastic and eager,” he says.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Diergaardt says his height helped his game, while he also followed the basics of how to position himself for corner kicks and free kicks.

“Also I was fortunate to have had the chance of watching Dutch football on television. I was a great fan of their total football concept. They played magnificent football . . .

Diergaardt says he misses his gruelling training regimen and packed football stadiums.

“Of course I terribly miss playing football, and the tough training sessions with coach Nose Morgendorp were just something out of this world. We held a lot of training camps and it was extra tough for me in 1989 because I was in matric then.

“But once we got used to his methods we really enjoyed ourselves, and anyone who watched Young Ones back in the days will admit we were up there among the fittest football clubs in the county. Fitness was a key element of our game,” he says.

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.