‘Trust your teammates with the ball don’t be selfish’ – Phillip Muinjo

Former Benfica, Black Africa and junior national team explosive winger Phillip ‘Tornado’ Muinjo is one player who had all the attributes to represent Namibia at senior national team level but a nagging knee injury thwarted his promising football career.

Gifted with a deft touch on the ball and devastating pace, the Katutura-born former winger, first played for Jan Jonker Afrikaner Secondary School team before he joined the reserve side of Katutura giants Orlando Pirates.

The young Muinjo’s red hot form for his school team during the schools league did not go unnoticed and as he was selected for the South West Africa under-20 team that went on tour to Cape Town, South Africa, in 1984.

“Touring Cape Town was quite a memorable experience. The football was of the highest standard and I was particularly intrigued by the beauty of the city and I was always looking forward to the sightseeing tours, especially to the Table Mountain,” he notes.

“But the most important part of the tour always remained the football. We played few games against the local clubs like Rangers, Edgemead and Vasco da Gama but the matches against the Western Province under-16 side and the main match against WP under-19 team were thrillers,”

The match against the under-16 team also served as a curtain-raiser to the Colts League Cup final while the encounter against the under-19 side was the main purpose of the tour.

Muinjo returned home as the top scorer of the entourage with a total of three goals, while the late Frans ‘Forra’ Nicodemus scored two and Frank Fredericks could only manage one.

The retired star is speaking very fondly about the late Lucky ‘Bazooka’ Richter, whom he describes as an immensely talented player and a very good friend. Richter succumbed to Covid-19 during a visit to South Africa in 2019.

“Lucky (Richter) and I were actually neighbours and childhood friends. I can say that he was the biggest influence on my football career. Lucky was immensely talented and we always juggled the ball in their yard. We turned out for the Pirates reserves together,” he says.

“But while we were still at Pirates, former Pirates legendary goalkeeper Japhet Hellao would always come pick us up to go play for his new team Sorento Bucks who were playing in the Central Second Division. We also played a part in Sorento winning the league in 1985.”

The Katutura-born and raised Muinjo, who enjoyed his football best playing on the right-wing, says that he wants to be remembered as a creative, speedy and brave player who oozed a lot of confidence and he enjoyed his football because he was always top fit.

“I would have loved to have a big career at Pirates like my elder brother Eric Muinjo who became a very influential player for the Katutura Buccaneers. However, Pirates just had too many star players who were household names in the game as well,” explains Muinjo.

“Young players like Lucky and myself were still inexperienced, thus playing regularly for Sorento helped develop our game tremendously. I went to look for job opportunities at the then Tsumeb Corporation Limited (TCL) at Tsumeb where I played for Royals FC for a brief spell.”

The trickster joined former northern giants Benfica soon after he secured a job at TCL.

Before he went to Benfica, Muinjo enjoyed a brief spell with Namibian cup kings Black Africa where he found himself in the company of refined footballers like David ‘Fellah’ Snewe, Mike ‘Barnes’ Petersen, Moses ‘Crooks’ Casper, Boni ‘Kandas’ Paulinho, Rusten ‘Sukhile’ Mogane and Frank ‘NamBlitz’ Fredericks.

However it was during his time at Tsumeb that he won his only major cup title with Benfica who popped his former team BA to the post during a penalty shoot to clinch the prestigious Metropolitan Champ of Champions Cup.

The high octane final encounter ended goalless after regulation time.

During his time at Benfica, Muinjo played alongside gifted footballers like Mandume ‘Licky’ Gideon, Drakka Shetekela, Nikitta Hivei and the Uushona brothers Daddy, Pecks and Lovey.

The former fast-sprinting star also won the B-Section of the Inter-Mines Football Championships at Arandis with TCL during that same year.

Muinjo secured a job at Rossing Uranium Limited in 1988 but he did not play any football and strictly only concentrated on athletics at Rossing.

“Athletics was my second love after football. I have been a very prominent sprinter throughout my school career. I participated in the 100m, 200m, highjump and relay disciplines at school. I decided to challenge the more experienced runners at Rossing,” he points out.

“On one specific occasion I tested my speed by sprinting against the lightning fast Abraham ‘Abes’ So-Oabeb, Patrick ’16 Valve’ Basson, and Lucky Gawanab. I was just proud to finish in fourth place after Harry Garus-Oab who was way out of his league at the time.”

So-Oabeb reigned supreme in the absence of Frank Fredericks, who left for his studies in the United States, with Basson, who also continued playing football at the same time, taking second spot. At least Muinjo finished ahead of Gawanab who occupied the last spot.

The allround star also attended karate classes during his time at school.The speedster was inflicted a career-threatening injury by BA’s Petersen during a league match with Benfica in Windhoek, from which he had to play through pain until he hang up his boots during his prime at Pirates, after he returned from his studies in the States in 1994.

Muinjo left for the United States in 1990, where he went to study at the Grand View College, which has since acquired university status.

“I turned out for the college team Nebraska Strikers during the three years I studied at Grand View, in Des Moines, Iowa, where he completed a double major in radio and TV communications and business administration (BA degree),” he says.

“I was one of the youngest players on the team but I am a proud Golden Boot winner, which is presented to the top scorer of the club at the end of the season. Although football was still a developing sport in the States at the time, our league was strong and very competitive.”

Although he is currently living a fulfilling life Muinjo, who says that his playing style was characterised by skills and attacking flair, is very disappointed that he could not represent his country at senior level because he had to quit the game at the prime of his career.

Muinjo, who is a divorcee, had five children but he endured the pain of losing two of his children to death.

After 20 years of working for the ministry of trade, Muinjo is currently a trustee for Frank Frederick’s group of companies while he is director of a semi-precious company and a shareholder of another picture stone company.

He is advising today’s players to be disciplined and be focussed on their game.

“Self-discipline is crucial and you have to be super fit. Football is a team sport. I don’t, want to shine alone. Trust your teammates with the ball and don’t be selfish,” Muinjo advises.

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