Former goalkeeper on entertaining crowds and planning ahead

Football was never dull with Danzyl Bruwer (47) in goal. The former Civics and Brave Warriors goalkeeper was renowned for his crowd-pleasing antics, which were not always received well – especially when it risked conceding a goal.

“I was an entertainer through and through. That was my playing style. It cost me a lot, because it always involved a lot of risks. I didn’t ever regret making mistakes along the way and being criticised by the fans. At least I gave them something to talk about.

“I always liked to give the supporters full value for their money. I loved to make a dangerous save from a simple save, and it came with a lot of confidence,” he says.

Bruwer first started playing for Young Ones despite all his childhood friends from Spokiesdorp and Bethlehem in Khomasdal featuring for crosstown rivals Civics.

“Young Ones were training at our school field at Dawid Bezuidenhout . . . I was particularly fascinated by the skills of goalkeeper Reus Nortje,” he says.

“It was only a matter of time before I started training with them,” he says.

Joining Civics paid off well and it was only the logical thing to do as Bruwer went on to enjoy remarkable success with the youthful and ambitious Khomasdal outfit.

He says he was always attracted to playing goalkeeper, because the position requires guts and exceptional ball handling skills, which he has in abundance.

“It is about time people change their mindset about my goalkeeping. There are still people who haven’t forgiven me for conceding what looked like an own goal against Algeria. I know I was just supposed to make a simple catch, but it was difficult,” Bruwer says.

“Now that was one moment I wish I could have done better, but I don’t regret doing that. I own up to my mistakes. My track record with both Civics and the national team speaks volumes.

“I went on to achieve a lot – particularly with Civics.”

Bruwer says his time with Civics was the most successful period of his football career, considering he even won a league title as a player-coach with the Bethlehem Boys.

GOALTENDER … Danzyl Bruwer (right) enjoyed a very successful stint with former Namibian champions Civics.

TALKATIVE … Former Brave Warriors goalkeeper Danzyl Bruwer has become one of the most sought-after sports MCs in the coastal area.

GOALMOUTH ACTION … Danzyl Bruwer (far right) keeping goal for the Brave Warriors against Senegal during a World Cup qualifier at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek. Closer to the camera is Namibian defender Steven Mbaisa. Photos: The Namibian Archives

It was, however, difficult for him to break into the Brave Warriors team, because he was competing against top goalies like Marcellus ‘The Cat’ Witbeen, Ronnie ‘The Magnet’ Kanalelo and Petrus ‘Dax’ Andjamba, he says.

But before he even started playing for the Brave Warriors, Bruwer’s talent was recognised at junior level, and he was roped into the late Eric Muinjo’s and Herman Katjiuongua’s under-20 team for the Cosafa Cup in Lesotho.

He was part of the senior national football team set-up between 1997 and 2003.

“I enjoyed my breakthrough year in 1998 when I won many individual accolades, like the most improved player, player of the year and sportsman of the year awards at club level with Civics, which made playing football a memorable experience for me,” he says.

“I played what I still consider as the best football match of my life away to Zambia in that same year. It was during the Cosafa Cup, and my superb goalkeeping safeguarded a one-all draw, with me being named man of the match afterwards.”

Bruwer’s talent was noticed by teams beyond the Orange River as he was signed by South African first-division outfit Avandale Athletic from Cape Town for one season before he moved on to Durban-based Premier Soccer League side African Wanderers the next season.

His most notable spell in South Africa was with Bidvest Wits when he, together with Richard Gariseb and Paulus Shipanga, was roped in by the relegated Johannesburg outfit to first help steer them back to the Premier Soccer League by winning the first-division league.

The towering goalkeeper, who is part of the Brave Warriors Legends team that will face Bafana Bafana in an exhibition match during the Hage Geingob Cup tomorrow, also played for Bay United (now Chippa United) and Ajax Cape Town in South Africa.

WORK, FAMILY

The former national team star, who is currently managing his own shuttle service and local tours around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, married his wife, Sophia, in 2014.

He also does stints as a master of ceremonies at sport events.

The retired goalie, who has nine children, says making a bad decision while on trial with German Bundesliga outfit Duisburg remains the biggest regret of both his life and as a footballer.

“I allowed a big opportunity to play top professional football slip through my fingers. I went to Duisburg for a two-week trial spell, and the two weeks became a month.

“Quinton Jacobs and I visited Razundara Tjikuzu in Bremen, and we went clubbing,” Bruwer says.

“I refused to go back to Duisburg after the weekend, and, as fate would have it, their first choice goalie broke his leg on the Monday I was supposed to be back at training.

“I wasn’t fully focused and I regret missing out on an opportunity that could have been life changing.”

He says he regrets not having equipped himself for life after football.

“I could have saved some money for life after football. I was just squandering money, not thinking about studying or even investing some,” he says.

“Life is relatively tough now, because business is not always consistent. I could have been an excellent addition to the marketing department of the Namibia Football Association if only I had studied marketing.

“But I am managing in my own way and life goes on.”

Bruwer’s advice to young footballers is the following: “Just stay focused, dedicated and disciplined. You must empower yourself not to fall into the trap of not preparing for life after football.”