Work permit issues stood in my way
“An energetic, hardworking, forceful person.” According to www.dictionary. com, that is the informal meaning of the word dynamo. Never has a name been more apt at describing a person than when it comes to PSTBET Civics midfielder Dynamo Fredericks, who possesses all those qualities.
And he demonstrated those qualities once more over the weekend with a goal-scoring performance against Khuse FC, helping the ‘Mighty Civilians' reach the semi-finals of the MTC NFA Aweh Cup.
Such was Fredericks' impact on the game that he not only scored once, but made sure the whole country notices him with a double, which includes a bicycle kick for the opening goal.
With that, the player showed his determination to keep adding value to the Namibian game.
The PlayMaker tracked him down to find out what led to his inspired performance and what the future holds for the midfielder.
Interestingly, Fredericks states that he has already put his performance on Saturday behind him. “You're only as good as your last game,” he tells The PlayMaker, when asked what he hopes to achieve with PSTBET Civics.
“I hope to continue where I felt off in the semis, with the help of my coaches and teammates.” Converted
While many football fans now know Fredericks as a hardworking midfielder, the player actually started out as right back for the ‘Mighty Civilians' back in 2012. He tells The PlayMaker the right-back remains a position close to his heart.
“I love playing right back... [I am] very energetic, hard on tackles, going in 50/50 and going up and down [the flanks]…
“I was inspired by [Brazilian] Danie Alves who used to play for Barcelona, but later on in the national team, coach Ricardo Mannetti tried me once in the midfield because I was not qualifying for the right back position because of my height. He told me because of my aggression and energy, he will play me in the
Dynamo Fredericks responded to critics with a great performance for PSTBET Civics over the weekend. caught up with him to discover the cause of his form.
“I joined Highlands Park on a oneyear deal. I was supposed to get my working permit to start playing but unfortunately it was ‘declined', if that's the right word. I don't know why, but that's the only reason why I came back.”
midfield and from then on I'm known as the Box-2Box midfielder,” he explained.
Home move
Many Namibian football fans, meanwhile, were surprised to see Fredericks back home as he had signed for Highlands Park around March this year. The move back to PSTBET Civics thus appeared to be a step back for the player.
But it turns out an administrative issue led to his move back home.
“I joined Highlands Park on a one-year deal. I was supposed to get my working permit to start playing but unfortunately it was ‘declined', if that's the right word. I don't know why, but that's the only reason why I came back,” he informs The PlayMaker.
Now that Fredericks is back in Namibia, a lot of fans wonder if this is the end of Fredericks's Professional career. Will he still make it as a professional player outside our borders?
Fredericks is now 29 years old and we all know that it is not easy to get a contract at that age. Something that also didn't help his case is that Namibia haven't played League football consistently and this hampered his overall game maturity and an opportunity to improve his game.
However, Fredericks is living a clean and discipline lifestyle not forgetting his passion for the game. So let's not be surprised if he signs for a club outside Namibia. After all he is Fredericks, known for his never say die attitude.
Fredericks was speaking to The PlayMaker prior to linking up with his Brave Warriors teammates, who went into camp on Sunday to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Senegal next month.
The midfielder appeared in a positive mood around the two matches Namibia will be playing in Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa. “Anything is possible… I believe that we can get out of this group with the nation behind us. It won't be easy, but we will fight for the Namibian flag,” he concludes.