Entangled in the nets with Patrick ‘Mabos’ Vries
FROM the acrobatic pair of Abel Nero and Jeremiah Hochobeb to the unbeatable Japhet ‘Bump Jive' Hellao, Döbra protege Gottfriedt ‘Lewa” Awaseb, Katutura giants Orlando Pirates were always handsomely blessed in the goalkeeping department.
However, great players come and go, and by the time the abovementioned club legends entered the sunset of their glittering football careers between the sticks, the Ghosts were obligated to cast the net wider for a suitable successor.
It did not take long for the ambitious Buccaneers to find their man. Elsewhere down south, a fairly young goalie going by the name of Patrick Mabos Vries was making waves between the sticks for youthful Tseiblaagte outfit Young Beauties Football Club.
The agile net guard did not need a second invitation he hit the ground running with breathtaking displays between the sticks. After prolonged struggles to round up the well-spoken socialite to tell his own story, New Era Sport finally cornered the retired net guard as he goes through his amazing football journey.
Like many other boys his age, Mabos Vries started playing football barefoot in the dusty streets, but it was not until he went to further his education at the revered Suiderlig Secondary School in the posh Kronlein residential area that he started showing flashes of greatness.
He was founder member of exciting Tesiblaagte youthful outfit Young Beauties alongside other highly talented youngsters. Some of his celebrated teammates were Lucky Boostander, Malan van der Westhuizen, Super Eiseb, Chris Amakali, Salathiel Ndjao, Justice Basson, Lucky Richter, Joseph Lappies Laperloth, and the free-scoring pocket-sized forward Jorries Afrikaner.
The new kid on the block started making serious inroads during the hotly-contested knockout cup tournaments staged in Keetmanshoop and surrounding towns such as Karasburg, Grunau, Mariental and Luderitz. In no time, Young Beauties brought the dominance of old horses Real Fighters, Black Arrows, Try Again, and King Pele Santos to a premature halt.
Upon completion of his studies, Bossie moved to the city of bright lights in search of better employment opportunities. The Ghosts
seized the chance and hijacked the acrobatic goalkeeper, and as they say, the rest is history.
The fearless boy from Berseba immediately announced his presence in topflight football with some brilliant performances between the sticks. Bossie is uncle to Brave Warriors longserving veteran shot-stopper Virgil Vries, and elder brother of no-nonsense veteran journalist D'aoud Vries.
A natural born leader and intellectual par excellence, Bossie was not only restricted to manning the goalposts for the Ghosts, he quickly elevated himself to the upper echelons of the Ghosts' hierarchy, serving the club in various administrative portfolios while still an active player.
Vries' near-faultless performance between the sticks did not go unnoticed, as he was deservedly rewarded in the shape of selection to man the goalposts for the star-studded Namibia Super Soccer League (NSSL) Invitational Eleven against the visiting South African teams Ace Mates, and The Birds.
A fearless phenomenal shot-stopper with brilliant positioning, Bossie was very good in one-on-one situations. He was equally brave and comfortable stopping spot kicks. Unfortunately, his flirtation with football administration took the better of him as he retired too soon from playing competitive football whilst still at the pinnacle of an otherwise flawless football career.
Bossie's impressive resume includes triumphs in the popular annual Top-16 knockout cup in Tsumeb, and Novel Ford Cup, when the fired-up Ghosts easily waltzed past a hapless Explorer Eleven 3-1 at the Windhoek Showgrounds in 1986.
Pirates also recorded another victory in another knockout cup match at the Kuisebmond stadium in Walvis Bay, when he kept a clean sheet in the Buccaneers' hard- fought 1-0 win over bitter rivals African Stars via Jorries Afrikaner's headed goal in the final, in addition to dozens of low-profile tournaments.
He served the Ghosts in various highprofile capacities with distinction, and was founder member of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) Board of Governors (BoGs). A fully-fledged Fifa-accredited match commissioner, Vries currently occupies the plum portfolio of director of the country's elite league, the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL).