There’s no success without hard work – ‘Computer’ Nicodemus 

Former Brave Warriors winger Nico ‘Computer’ Nicodemus says hard work and commitment define success.

The former Namibian Premier League and Brave Warriors attacking player was gifted with exceptional ball control and a bag full of tricks.

He donned the jerseys of some of the league’s most prominent clubs like Civics, Liverpool, Ramblers and Tigers during what he termed “an overwhelming” football career.

“Like most youngsters from the townships, I started playing organised football at school . . . I started winning big when I went to Concordia College, where I won two Coca-Cola Soccer Championships,” he says.

It was during his time at Namutoni Primary School that Nicodemus was spotted by Khomas Rovers before the talent-scouting eye of Mario Carerra discovered him and lured him to African Latinos.

“I was really enjoying myself at Latinos. We were in the Khomas First Division, and our ball players were granted more freedom to express ourselves with the ball. Latinos, however, merged with Liverpool and half of the players joined Liverpool,” Nicodemus says.

“I was signed by Civics afterwards, but my stay at the Bethlehem Boys was short before I also joined Ramblers to link up with my previous teammates from Latinos.”

Nicodemus, who describes his playing as both tactical and technical, coupled to a lot of skills, preferred playing on the left-wing growing up, but he was later converted to a central attacking midfielder.

“I played on the wing, where I enjoyed tormenting the opposition defence, and it was also very close to goal for me, compared to the central midfielder I was later switched to. On the wings I could express myself with the ball because I was required to bit my marker,” he says.

“There is really not much room to manoeuvre in the middle of the park because it is very congested. But I made my fast left-foot do the work for me with my close ball control and trickery. But most importantly, I was an excellent motivator for my teammates.”

Nicodemus’ football career took him to Walvis Bay, where he secured a job with the Walvis Bay Town Council, and he decided to join Blue Waters but once again.

His journey with the Beautiful Birds only lasted six months before he returned and joined his boyhood club Tigers.

Nicodemus was enjoying his football with the Ingweinyama before his love for Ramblers once again lured him back to the Pioneerspark-based team, where his career improved drastically under coaches Tollie van Wyk and the late Dove Fransman.

His excellent displays with Ramblers won him a few player of the match trophies, just as he did at Civics.

In between his movement from club to club, Nicodemus received call-ups for the national under-17 teams and was later moved to the under-19 team, before he was upgraded to the under-20 and under-23 teams.

“I enjoyed my time with both the under-20 and under-23 teams more because I was given the freedom to express myself more. In fact, it was during my tenure with the under-23 team that I played my most memorable game ever in a national jersey against South Africa,” he says.

“Our southern neighbours came with a powerful Olympic Team, latent with some of the young footballers who made waves in their professional football, but, with the support of my teammates, I showed them we were equally skilful.”

The retired star won the hearts of the hundreds of Namibian fans who jam-packed Indepedence Stadium as he literally ran rings around their much-fancied opponents whom they managed to hold to a goalless draw, resulting in the crowd swarming him after the match.

The former footballer was quite a versatile sportsman who also earned national colours with the national table tennis team between 1995 and 1997 as a member of the SKW Table Tennis Club.

WORK, FAMILY

Nicodemus married his childhood girlfriend, Charlotte Kandanga, in 2014 and the couple has two sons.

He also has a daughter.

“I think my life went exactly as I planned it. I have a decent job as an account executive at a leading enterprise networking and telecom services company. We provide reliable internet solutions for our clients,” he says.

“I am married, have my own house and car, and, most importantly, I have children which makes for a wonderful life, and I can only thank my Maker. This is definitely how I have imagined my life after football. I am very happy with my achievements after retiring from the game.”

Nicodemus says his motto in life is: Be the change you want to see.

He mentions his late brother, Frans ‘Foresta’ Nicodemus, and former Black Africa dribbling ace the late Lucky ‘Bazooka’ Richter as the two people who had the biggest influence on his football career.

Nicodemus is still playing for Aweh-Aweh FC, a team which is mostly made up of former national team players, which participates in Social League and over-40 tournaments.

They also conduct coaching clinics in remote places like Gobabis, Khorixas and Rehoboth.

His advice to young players is: “Play with passion. Your love for the game must drive you. Stay disciplined, because hard work and commitment define success.”

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