Former Werder Bremen and Brave Warriors allrounder Razundara ‘Rassie’ Tjikuzu is the youngest player ever to play for the senior national football team.
Born at Aminuis village in the Omaheke region, Tjikuzu, who was brought up by his uncle at Swakopmund, also became the first player to score a hat-trick for the national team in an official international match.
The gifted star made his Brave Warriors debut against Liberia at the age of 17, while he scored Namibia’s first hat-trick during a 3-0 win against Seychelles in 2000.
“I really owe it to people like the late former junior national team coach Eric Muinjo and Peter Ueberjahn, who is accredited for the Brave Warriors’ good showing in continental football, for integrating me in the national team set-up at a very young age,” Tjikuzu says.
“Things happened so fast for me. By the time I was 15, I was already training with the senior national team and before I knew it I was playing professional football in Germany.
It was during his time at Festus Gonteb Primary School at Swakopmund that he was called up to train with the national under-20 team by coach Muinjo as a 13-year-old.
“I was a 100m and 200m sprinter, and I was the fastest at our school. I was very adaptable and did not mind where the coach wanted me to play.
“My skills also helped me a lot . . . I also featured against the visiting under-16 and under-17 Westphalia regional teams from Germany,” he says.
Tjikuzu says Werder Bremen were touring the country when they spotted him in a game against Westphalia between 1993 and 1994.
“Bremen invited me over to Germany and they put their faith in me by signing me up for their academy team. I was really taken aback by their top class professional set-up . . . they are top notch.
“I spent two years in the academy before I signed a professional contract with the first team at age 17,” he says.
The former free-scoring retired star says his development was so good that he was even competing for the best right wingback title against former Bayern Munich and Germany team captain Philipp Lam in the German Bundesliga.
“Playing against the top European teams really helped propel me from just another ambitious young black footballer from Africa into the trailblazing footballer that cemented his spot in the Werder Bremen first 11.
“I took ownership of the right wingback position. Not only Bremen, but the whole of Germany knew exactly who I was. It was therefore not surprising that I was granted the accolade of young player of the year by my club,” he says.
By 1999 Bremen were going through a huge transitional period and were in the market for better and bigger players.
They were competing in Europe and were knocked out in the quarter-final stage by Parma of Italy.
Tjikuzu got his first taste of silverware at the age of 18 when Bremen defeated Bayern Munich to lay claim to the Deutscher Pokal in 1999.
But as the saying goes, every good thing must come to an end, and it so happened that it was time for the Namibian star to leave Bremen for Hansa Rostock in 2007.
“It was a very sad moment for me, because Bremen invested so much in me.
“Unfortunately things didn’t work out between us because of issues beyond the confinement of the football pitch.
“I came under tremendous pressure from the German media, and my behaviour off the pitch started to affect my relationship.
“I lost my mom in the same year, and people were just too easy to judge without offering comfort,” he says.
Tjikuzu played for Rostock for two years before he decided to move out of Germany for Turkey 2012 and he first joined C Rizespor.
“Turkey’s standard of living is way below the glitz and glamour of Germany. However, the great advantage of Turkey is that you don’t pay tax as a footballer. That is paid by the club.
“In contrast, you pay a lot of tax in Germany if you aren’t married – up to 49%.
“The money you earn playing overseas is good, but you have to be very careful of unscrupulous player agents,” he warns.
The Namibian star also had spells with Büyükşehir, Trabzonspor, Diyarbakırspor and Kasımpaşa before he returned to Namibia, where he first played for Tigers in the 2012/13 season before moving on to Africans Stars for the 2013/14 season.
Tjikuzu ended his playing career in 2016 at SKW, where he also got involved with youth development.
He is currently the proud holder of a Namibia Football Association coaching C licence.
WORK, FAMILY
Tjikuzu has five children, two of whom were born in Germany, another two in Turkey, and one in Namibia.
He has coached Henties Bay United, and was also part of the Dockies Schmidt Academy.
The former star is currently a fitness coach at African Stars.
“I have done good for myself on the football pitch, but I live with the regret that I could have done better with my lifestyle.
“I was just a young man who couldn’t strike a balance between my life on and off the field . . . I allowed myself to be consumed by the nightlife in Germany,” he says.
Tjikuzu’s advice for young players is never to underestimate their talent and to grab opportunities with both hands.
“I had my chance and I can’t say that I blew it, because I played with and against some of the best players in the world. I don’t regret it, I enjoyed myself.
“Don’t take it for granted to be a professional player, and stay focused. Just make sure you have the right support base,” he says.
