Oshakati City and Brave Warriors legend, Fillemon Kalutenda Angula, better known as ‘Kaskas’ by his peers, has been described as a humble and hard-working footballer by former teammates.
Born on 23 August 1973, Angula passed away on 05 August 2024, just two weeks shy of his 50th birthday.
The 49-year-old footballer donned the jersey of the senior national football team the Brave Warriors in 1998 as well as that of Oshakati City.
Chairperson of Okahandja United and former teammate, Johannes Hindjou in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday described his passing as a shock, saying his memory will live on.
‘During our playing days it was difficult for players outside Windhoek to crack it in the national team, but in 1996 I made my debut while Kaskas followed the following year coming from Oshakati City, a team he put on the map,’ he said.
Hindjou praised Angula’s natural talent, particularly his brilliant ball-controlling skills.
‘Kaskas was a quiet guy who never wanted to mingle or look for problems. He also
listened to whoever gave him advice as a player,’ he said.
Hindjou further recalled how Angula would assist the team as a translator during their travels to West or Central Africa.
‘He spoke good French and we relied on him for translation whenever we travelled. However, our technical director of the national team, Peter Uberjahn at the time, always wanted to be known as the only guy who could speak French. So, by the time he arrived, Kaskas had already done the job, and he would jokingly scold him for doing his job,’ he said.
Hindjou said the football community is touched, but in the same vein is also unhappy that nobody celebrated Angula while he was still alive.
‘I don’t believe in giving someone their flowers when they are gone. It’s about time that the Football Association starts recognising people while they are still alive. Kaskas could have developed many young footballers as he was the first person from the North to join the national team. His skills could have been well utilised as a development
coach or in any other role,’ Hindjou said.
Meanwhile Ricardo Mannetti, the former Brave Warriors coach who also played alongside Angula, said he was shocked to hear about Angula’s passing on social media.
‘I was quite touched. I played against him at club level and with him in the national team. Kaskas was a simple human being who never bothered anyone. Namibia has lost a good human being. I admired Kaskas because of his heading, which was close to none. As Namibians we are not good at heading, but he was. I cannot tell the family to be okay because it’s difficult, and they must mourn him in the way they think will be befitting for him. We will keep them in our prayers in these difficult times,’ Mannetti said.
Ronny Kanalelo, who also played alongside Angula in the national team, sent a message of condolences to the family while stating that Angula was a close friend and humble man.
‘No one could get angry with him as he was a friend to everyone, and he took advice from anyone. Even a child would advise h
im, and he would listen. I played with the Jah Man. I never knew he was sick, I was hurt when I heard he passed because I never knew he was sick,’ Kanalelo said.
Source : The Namibia News Agency