Every sport team has a talisman. In Orlando Pirates’ case, it was Bonny ‘Orlando’ Uirab. Apart from being a prolific scorer in the past, Uirab also holds the distinction of being one of a few players who have scored four goals in a single match.
That magical moment happened during the Windhoek Premium Lager Premier League clash against Life Fighters in 1998, which saw the Katutura outfit annihilate their opponents from Otjiwarongo with a resounding 6-3 defeat at Independence Stadium.
“That was a crazy match. That is definitely the most memorable match of my entire football career. It appeared that every shot at goal went in on that night. I will never forget that match as long as I live,” the former Pirates hitman says.
“I just wish our games were televised and someone could have recorded that game for me. I’ve seen people scoring three in a match, but it’s not always that you get to score four goals in a match.
“I can’t really describe my feelings when I think back to that day.”
There were other fine moments in the career of the Usakos-born striker to set him off to finish as the league’s top goalscorer that season.
It was at Hakhaseb township where the former speedy striker honed his skills.
But the real change in his form happened in 1989 when he moved to Windhoek to attend Dawid Bezuidenhout Secondary School.
It was during his years at the Khomasdal-based school that he discovered his love for athletics.
“I’ve always been fast, even during my primary school years at Usakos, but I was really flying when I came to Windhoek,” Uirab says.
“It was also during my time at Dawid that I developed as a player. I played in the school team together with former Civics midfield star Jerry Zimmer and Francisco van Wyk, who shone for Young Ones and Percy Gariseb. We had a very strong team in the Khomas school’s league.”
Individually, Uirab won the top goalscorer of the year, top player of the year, and sportsman of the year because of his exploits with the school team, while he is also a proud winner of the Coca-Cola Cup with the school team.
After school, the striker made himself useful in the colours of Crystal Palace at the famous ‘Ellis Park’ (the open field between Shifidi Secondary School and the Ephesians Lutheran Church) in Katutura.
“It was fun playing for Palace against other junior teams like Russian X1, who fielded the hotshot Sabans Namaseb, Dream Team, which had a superstar in Lolo Goraseb, and the exciting Jorries Cosmos. We attracted huge crowds right in the centre of Katutura,” Uirab says.
“We really make a good account of ourselves and with the hundreds of cheering fans on the touchline, it felt like we were playing in one of the biggest stadiums in the country. In fact, Ellis Park shaped the careers of Namibia’s best young players who went on to play in the top league.”
It was during those games that Uirab was spotted by former Eleven Arrows great late uncle Ben Tembo, who persuaded him to join his newly formed Challengers club.
However, he didn’t last long at Challengers before he went to play for Reinholdt ‘Waga-Waga’ Goagoseb’s team Hotspurs at Katutura’s Dolam.
Goagoseb advised Uirab to join Orlando Pirates after Hotspurs failed to win promotion to the premier league in his first season with them in 1994.
Uirab grabbed the chance to play in the country’s top league with both hands.
“I was really enjoying myself at Pirates and the goals were flowing. However, it just didn’t go well with the team overall. But I must thank my teammates for putting in their level best to steer the club clear from the relegation zone.
“Coach Boois was also a master tactician,” he says.
“I made sure I remained consistent in front of goals from 1998 until 200 when I turned out for the famous black-and-white outfit from Katutura. But no matter how hard we tried, we could just not win any trophies during what is considered a dark era for the club.”
At least the retired striker has a Namibian Football Association Cup runners-up medal with Tigers after falling short against Young Ones in the final in his retirement season.
But thanks to his prolific scoring form, Uirab made sure he caught the eye of former late Brave Warriors coach Ted Dumitru, who was one of the most successful coaches in the South African professional football league.
Uirab played only one official match for Namibia, during the Brave Warriors 1-all African Cup of Nations qualifier draw against Egypt, in which he even assisted George ‘Impi’ Hummel’s equaliser.
His only other encounter for the national team was an international friendly away in Mbabane against Swaziland.
Uirab enjoyed short stints with Ramblers and SKW for whom he still features on their Old Boys team with the likes of former national team stars like Arend von Stryk and Rolf Beiter.
He also played for the star-studded Aweh Aweh, a team mostly consisting of retired former Brave Warriors players.
WORK, FAMILY
The former two-footed striker married Rachel Uiras in 2002 and has six children.
He has been employed as an information technology (IT) specialist by the Roads Contractor Company for the past 12 years, amd is responsible for the maintenance and management of the company’s IT system network.
A bachelor of commerce holder in IT management as well as a qualified cyber security specialist, Uirab is a certified international project management professional and a Prince 2 practitioner.
The retired star is advising young footballers to be disciplined and focused.
“Football is a short-term career and if you get an opportunity to play, embrace it and never forget to put God first in whatever you do,” he says.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
