Farewell to prominent footballer, whistleblower and noted leather trader
Alex ‘Kanjungu Koura’ Kapenaina 1954 - 2021 Joseph Anhindi 1973 - 2021
Just as the close-knit family of Namibia’s oldest sport entity Tigers Sport Club and acquaintances were starting to come to terms with the sudden departure of club fullback Paulus “Scalla” Shaanika, whose death followed short on the heels of the trident of club stalwarts Buti Tommy Akwenye, Martin Weicko and midfield general Alele Kapule, death has struck again with former trusted defender Alexander
Kapenaina having taken a bow from the game of life, aged 66.
The author is well placed to narrate the somewhat abbreviated football journey of bro Alex Kapenaina.
Our confrontations on the field started way back in 1973, during the countless battles between his club Battle Boys and Black Beauty Chiefs (BBC) in Okahandja. I was stationed on the right flank and bro
Alex was occupying the left fullback position for the exciting youthful Nau-Aib outfit.
As it turned out, our paths would cross again when both of us left the garden town and joined Tigers and African Stars, respectively. I was playing my second match for the Reds after arriving from the brave “Lions of Judah” in a pre-season friendly match against Tigers at the fully packed SKW stadium in 1980. The match came just a week after my debut for Stars vs Black Africa where I opened the account in a 4-2 defeat at the same venue. Immanuel Kamuserandu netted the other goal with George Martin grabbing a double brace for BA.
I was high on confidence; Oscar Mengo encouraged me to shoot from range whenever possible, but eish ... bro Alex never gave me an ounce of breathing space and stuck to me like an impolite louse. He marked the hell out of me to the extent that I begged to be taken off during the half-time break. We lost the match 4-0.
That was bro Alex for you, a phenomenal man marker. A jack of all trades, he also tried his hand at coaching and mentored his beloved “Ingwe” in an interim role at different intervals. May his soul rest easy.