Versatile football all-rounder reflects on winning hearts

African Stars, Benfica and Chief Santos gifted winger and defender Taleni Simon belongs to a group of Namibian footballers who showed great potential at junior level but never made it to the senior national team.

Popularly known by his middle name, Ndapewa, in football circles, the retired winger’s twin brother Ileni Dankie Simon is a former footballer himself.

Together, the two brothers won the hearts of football fans at their hometown Tsumeb and Opawa Junior Secondary School, under their teacher and coach Nico Kaiyamo, who is now an astute businessman.

Back then Dankie was the one firing in the goals, with Ndapewa guarding the defence as sweeper, as the twin brothers first shone in the colours of their location team, Black Shadows, before moving on to Benfica, and later Monaco.

“My twin brother Dankie was the one enjoying most of the limelight during our younger days because he was scoring goals like they were going out of fashion, while I was making sure we were not conceding any at the back,” he says.

“I was also more of an all-rounder because of my versatility, I could almost play in every position in the team. I never complained, I just played wherever the coach thought I could make a positive contribution for the team, although I prefer playing sweeper.”

He says he and his twin looked very alike when they were younger, and they used to trick even their coaches at Benfica who could not distinguish between the two, to the extent that they even gave each other playing time if one of them was on the bench.

“Not even the opposition players nor the referee could see the difference, not to talk about our own teammates. It was also the case in our neighbourhood, as the people really struggled to tell the difference between us,” Simon says with a naughty smile.

It was during his time at Benfica that Simon attracted the attention of the late Lucky Richter, who was the coach of the national under-17 team at the time.

The call-up means the former Maria Mwengere Secondary School pupil got a taste of international football, albeit at junior level, against South Africa and Malawi in Blantyre.

“From Benfica, I joined Monaco and enjoyed playing under former Chief Santos goal ace Selle Augumeb. I was also one of his trusted lieutenants and I had a free role, whereby I just played where he thought I could positively impact the team,” Simon says.

“Unfortunately, Monaco broke up and I was snapped by Chief Santos, where I was mentored by teacher Lemmos Geingob, who helped my game develop tremendously. It was at Santos where I was finally converted to the left wingback position.”

The tricky winger was still enjoying his new position at Santos when African Stars convinced him and his twin to relocate to the city in 1999.

Life at Stars exposed him to the national team selectors, and soon he was promoted to the under-20 team under Herman Katjiuongua, that went to contest the Cosafa Zone Six Championships in Mozambique.

“The under-20 championship was a real tough experience. We were playing against some of the most exciting young players in the southern African region, especially those from South Africa, who are exposed to tough competition in the South African Premier League,” Simon notes.

“Their experience showed throughout the match, as the South Africans cruised to an easy 3-0 win. Although we drew 0-0 with Malawi, we found the going too tough against Lesotho in our final group match and we had to accept another 3-0 defeat.”

He says their counterparts from South Africa and Lesotho were exposed to professional at a very young age, and had developed excellent football brains. They simply didn’t have answers for their powerful displays, and were forced to play with their backs against the wall most of the time, he recalls.

Simon admits that he benefited immensely from playing for both the under-17 and under-20 team because he experienced football at another level.

The former winger, who was never one who disappeared from the action during a match, says his game was characterised by hard work, endurance and tactical discipline.

“I was not one of the most skillful players in the team but I listened very attentively when my coach addressed me. I never really struggled against any opponent in the Namibian Premier League because I always played a team game, always involved my teammates,” he notes.

“Mine was a very short passing game. I passed the ball to a teammate, moved into the pass and received the ball again. I didn’t have to dribble or run past people with the ball because I always received the ball in spaces in the attack, with the defenders facing away from goal.”

The Tsumeb-born star describes the 2-1 Castle Classic Cup final win over Blue Waters, his only major trophy success of his career, as one of the biggest moments of his football career.

While Simon doesn’t have any sporting regrets, he wishes he had completed his secondary school so that he could have studied further at university.

“I regret not finishing my school but that’s water under the bridge now. I didn’t have the financial support and unfortunately, football in our country was still at an amateur stage. We only played for fame and loyalty back in the days,” he says.

“I could have definitely paid my own school fees and enrolled myself at a college or university if we were in a professional set-up. That is what most responsible youngsters in South Africa do. They even have enough money to support their parents and build houses for their family,” he adds.

He is currently in a long-term relationship, and while he has no children with his girlfriend, he has fathered four children from previous relationships.

The self-taught artisan currently relies on small plumbing and building tenders to support himself.

He says with many struggling under the poor economic conditions in the country, jobs are very hard to come by.

The retired star also keeps himself busy by coaching youngsters at the Chicco Football Academy, from under-9s to under-17s.

Apart from playing football, Simon also tried his luck at boxing under the TCL Boxing Club, but he quit a couple of fights in, after receiving the beating of his life from an opponent during a tournament at Rundu.

Alongside his twin, they took part in the street mile, 10km, half marathon and full marathon races, and they even won a junior street mile competition once.

A fitness fanatic in his heyday, Simon decries the poor standard of today’s football, saying the game lacks big name players like David Snewe, Juku Tjazuko, Rusten Mogane, Koko Matatias, Foresta Nicodemus and Orlando Damaseb.

He advises today’s players to avoid friends that are bad influences, to always be punctual for training and games, to listen to their coaches and to be disciplined.