By Michael Uugwanga

ONESMUS Kuumbwa eats, drinks and sleep football and usually dons sports apparel whether conducting training or busy in class teaching mathematics.  He also happens to be a school teacher at the town of Rehoboth. The past weekend, Kuumbwa was spotted on the touchline for the Hardap girls Regional U-15 side that was participating in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Schools Championship that was held in Windhoek, with his side losing 3-0 in the final to the host Khomas team.

This week Confidente caught up with Kuumbwa, regarding his coaching journey, profession, football career. Besides being the regional girls head coach, he is also head coach for his school’s Origo Primary School boys and girls U/11 ,U/13, and U/15 teams. At the same time he is also the  coordinator and facilitator of  Rehoboth Primary School's league. 

“I started coaching 2020 when I started teaching. .  I was born 29 years ago at Egongo Village, Epembe constituency, Ohangwena Region.What motivated me was the talent I saw in our young learners that was not embraced. I currently do not have a soccer qualification yet. I am a full-time mathematics teacher for grade four to seven learners, said Kuumbwa."

“It was on 28 June 2024, when I was playing football for my village team, whereby I got injured during the game, and because of the distance to the hospital, when I reached the hospital one of my veins busted and started with an internal bleeding which led to the amputation of my leg two days later. I have been playing football ever since I was young, but I only managed to play in the third division for Oryza Sativa in Katima Mulilo (Zambezi Region) from 2016-2019 and also played social league for both Rehoboth Nampol and Hardap teachers.” 

There is no doubt that his Hardap girls team was one of the most exciting side in the CAF African Schools Championship, which also brought joy to his face, despite coming second. His experience in the CAF African Schools Championship could open up more doors for him to one day becoming a top coach at any level, be it club or even at national level.

It is every football coach dream to one day   coach a national team, with Kuumbwa making no secret of him one day leading the Brave Warriors, but first he will need to acquire coaching qualifications. “I could not find the right word to describe how happy and proud I was for our U/15 girls, which a good opportunity was also for them, and I was up against against an experienced and exposed Khomas team and coaching staff, which a marvelous experience was for me. 

"The most joyful one is that six of my girls were selected for the national selection camp team. I do have a dream of coaching brave warriors. What needs to be done in Hardap is to introduce girls' football academies across the region and the support from Namibia Football Association (NFA) in terms of training courses and exposure.”