Alan Hansen once famously said “you can’t win anything with kids,” before Alex Ferguson forced the pundit to chew on his words by winning the 1995/96 Premier League title with a cast of youngsters.
In soccer, youth is more valuable than experience, and Willy Stephanus is living proof of this fact.
The 22-year-old hails from Mariental where he was born and raised by his mother. He is one of the youngest players at the moment in the Brave Warriors soccer squad that is making waves.
He is what one would call a troublemaker on the field. Not one to shy away from giving defenders something to talk about, Willy sizzles every time he gets on the pitch with his pace and potential to score from any corner.
Willy is the third-born child of his mother, with four other siblings. He has 23 caps for the National soccer team, where he plays the position of right winger.
He started playing football in Keetmanshoop for Civics and later his hard work paid off as he was drafted into the Black Africa squad.
When asked how playing for Black Africa is different from playing for the Brave Warriors, he said that the national team is a different ball game altogether.
“Playing for the national team is very competitive. You have to put in a little extra all the time, but it is very much worth it.
“The senior guys are always ready to advise here and there, about everything. We come from different clubs but the guys are tight as glue. I like the way we fight as a team and that can be seen every time we go on the field. My favourite player is Willem Mwedihanga, who is a very funny guy.”
“The game that we played against Congo on 17 May was great as it lifted our spirits. We haven’t really won any games in four months so that win boosted us and we plan to do even better when we take on Congo at the end of this month,” said Willy.
The young football wizard added that he is a die-hard Arsenal fan and that there is no other team like them.
To conclude, he advised young soccer players who dream of joining the senior team to have a lot of discipline, both on and off the field and not to get involved in unnecessary activities if they want to make it far in their soccer careers.
