Wasserfall: The Pirates project and life after football

Three-time Namibian Premier League winner Celestinus Wasserfall was respected for his electrifying pace and powerful right-foot shot.

The Omaruru-born alumnus of Uis’s Petrus Ganeb Secondary School clinched a league title each with Chief Santos, Blue Waters and Orlando Pirates.

The former striker, who moved from the right wing to centre-forward upon joining Nomtsoub giants Chief Santos in 2002, cherishes his selection for the national under-19 school side while still a pupil at Uis.

“Schools like Petrus Ganeb are completely isolated from the rest of the country. I was lucky to have been spotted by the Namibian Schools Sport Union selectors for the team that toured the Westphalia region in Germany,” Wasserfall says.

“We first went to a training camp in Westphalia before we travelled to Sweden to play in the Gothia Cup. My teammate, Brian Gurirab, and I seemingly attracted the attention of team coach Max ‘Zoda 5’ Johnson, who invited us to join Chief Santos whom he was coaching at the time.”

After two seasons with the Copper Town Boys, the star forward was lured by Kuisebmond outfit Blue Waters chairman Hendrick Davids to join his project at the harbour town.

The former junior national star won the Namibia Football Association Cup and his second league title with Blue Waters before African Stars came calling. However, the Katutura outfit was struggling at the time, and Wasserfall was once again prompted by Davids to join him at Orlando Pirates.

Davids, who revolutionised Namibian football with his management style, took over a struggling Pirates and turned them into a title-challenging side again.

“The Pirates project was very ambitious indeed. I was joined by my former Blue Waters teammates goalkeeper Athiel ‘AB’ Mbaha and livewire striker Paulus ‘Wire’ Shipanga at the Dolam outfit and we really boosted the teams that had Riaan Cloete and Patrick Jagger,” Wasserfall says.

“I was really enjoying my time at Pirates but I harboured ambitions to go play professional football in Germany. There were interests from teams during my time with the under-19 side there but the Pirates chairman seemed not keen to lose one of his most prized assets in me.”

Between club stints, he played for the under-20 national team before promotion to the under-23s – the Young Warriors. He highly values his time with the squad, especially the Under-23 Four Nations Cup in Luanda, Angola.

“It was one of the best tournaments I played for my country. Botswana, Zambia and hosts Angola delivered a very exciting tournament. I think it was during that tournament that the Brave Warriors selectors decided to call me up to the senior national team,” he says.

“I still cherish the two goals I scored against Botswana to earn my country a resounding 2-0 win against our eastern neighbours. But the final clash against Zambia, who ousted Angola, saw us crushing 3-0, thanks to a hattrick by Collins Mbesuma.”

Beyond football, Wasserfall was a standout 100m and 200m sprinter, representing the Erongo region at the Namibian Schools Athletics Championships in Windhoek. However, he eventually chose to focus on football.

“I feel like having a secure job at Namibian Ports Authority, where I have been employed for the past 15 years, made up for my failure to go play professional football outside the country. I was initially bitter but after I started working at this company, I became content with who I am,” he notes.

“I am a heavy equipment operator and this is actually a very demanding job but it’s also fun. My job entails manoeuvring machinery such as cranes, bulldozers, excavators and dump trucks.”

The former poacher, who retired at Blue Waters, struggled with the language barrier as most teammates spoke Oshiwambo, though he eventually found ways to bridge the gap.

Wasserfall has three children. His son chose rugby – a departure from the family tradition, as both his father and uncle were footballers.

Citing his father and Davids as the biggest influences on his football career, Wasserfall retired after a knee injury.

“I was still playing social football during the SOE Games but I picked up weight after my knee operation. I struggled to go back to my normal weight so I decided no more football for me. I was a very committed player during my heyday I must say,” the former striker says.

“I have fond memories of the football pitch. I will forever cherish the Brave Warriors match against Angola in Luanda. The atmosphere was electrifying as usual because the Angolan crowd is always loud. They beat us 1-0 but I gave their defenders hell. My best match for Namibia.”

Asked if he is still in touch with some of his former teammates, Wasserfall says he is still in touch with Paulus Shipanga and Armando Pedro, both former strikers.

Wasserfall says his current life is exactly as he imagined it would be after retirement.

“I have always wished for a comfortable life after football and I am definitely living my dream right now. Although I wanted to go play professionally abroad and make some good money, I am very happy with my current job,” he says.

“I must admit that I miss the rigorous training. I also miss all the travelling to other countries. I would advise today’s young players that they should take their game seriously and refrain from smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. That’s not the lifestyle of a professional.”

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.