Digital content is key
Namibian international striker Lazarus Kaimbi says players who aspire to play abroad should build a digital presence and inject determination into their quest.
Limba Mupetami
WINDHOEK
Footballer Lazarus Kaimbi, who plies his trade for Malaysian football league club Kelatan, has made it this far in his career through sheer, unwavering and unrelenting hard work.
The 32-year-old Namibian is the epitome of perseverance, and at a time when most local players struggled to remain consistent abroad, he has stuck it out, spending close to nine years playing for various clubs beyond our borders.
From Osotspa and Bangkok Glass in the Thai first-tier league to Chiangrai United and second-tier Navy Football Club as well as Suphanburi in Asia, the player has well and truly made his mark away from home.
Building a digital presence
These moves were not easy to make, Kaimbi said, and are getting even tougher for those who hope to play abroad.
On whether local players can sign for clubs in Asia and how to do it, Kaimbi said digital content is key.
“Back in the day, all it took to get signed was a CV, but all of that has changed. Scouts require digital content before anything else. It's getting competitive so I advise that you invest more in building a digital presence.
“Start a YouTube channel, create as much content as possible and present yourself as a professional on social media. Clubs nowadays do their due diligence online before engaging a player and if a simple Google search doesn't yield results, they will continue their search elsewhere,” he said.
Adapting to change
Adapting to life in Asia hasn't been easy for Kaimbi, but he has shown a single-minded, determined approach to both sport and life in general, and said even with the unexpected turn of events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he maintained a positive attitude throughout.
“Yes, it was difficult being idle in a foreign country for almost five months due to the fact that the league was disrupted and on hold from February until July. But I kept busy with training, really, and have so far secured two goals and five assists,” he said.
He added that with regulations now eased, the momentum has picked up and hopefully he will be in even better shape by the time they qualify for the Malaysia Football Association Cup.
What has been tough, the footballer said, is playing without fans and being unable to show his sportsmanship.
Door is always open
Despite doing well on club level abroad, Kaimbi said he still has ambitions to come back home to the national football team.
“I have never closed the door on my roots at the Brave Warriors and I'm always available to be part of the team and to represent my country.
“If I do happen to get a call-up and I'm able to travel under Covid-19 restrictions, I'll be happy to be back on the pitch wearing our national colours,” he said.
Be open to advice
Asked what his secret to success is, Kaimbi said it takes a lot of dedication, hard work and sometimes sacrifice.
He also advised players to be open to taking advice and not to think that they are indispensable to the game.
“New talent emerges every day and career-threatening injuries do happen,” he cautioned.
WINDHOEK
Footballer Lazarus Kaimbi, who plies his trade for Malaysian football league club Kelatan, has made it this far in his career through sheer, unwavering and unrelenting hard work.
The 32-year-old Namibian is the epitome of perseverance, and at a time when most local players struggled to remain consistent abroad, he has stuck it out, spending close to nine years playing for various clubs beyond our borders.
From Osotspa and Bangkok Glass in the Thai first-tier league to Chiangrai United and second-tier Navy Football Club as well as Suphanburi in Asia, the player has well and truly made his mark away from home.
Building a digital presence
These moves were not easy to make, Kaimbi said, and are getting even tougher for those who hope to play abroad.
On whether local players can sign for clubs in Asia and how to do it, Kaimbi said digital content is key.
“Back in the day, all it took to get signed was a CV, but all of that has changed. Scouts require digital content before anything else. It's getting competitive so I advise that you invest more in building a digital presence.
“Start a YouTube channel, create as much content as possible and present yourself as a professional on social media. Clubs nowadays do their due diligence online before engaging a player and if a simple Google search doesn't yield results, they will continue their search elsewhere,” he said.
Adapting to change
Adapting to life in Asia hasn't been easy for Kaimbi, but he has shown a single-minded, determined approach to both sport and life in general, and said even with the unexpected turn of events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he maintained a positive attitude throughout.
“Yes, it was difficult being idle in a foreign country for almost five months due to the fact that the league was disrupted and on hold from February until July. But I kept busy with training, really, and have so far secured two goals and five assists,” he said.
He added that with regulations now eased, the momentum has picked up and hopefully he will be in even better shape by the time they qualify for the Malaysia Football Association Cup.
What has been tough, the footballer said, is playing without fans and being unable to show his sportsmanship.
Door is always open
Despite doing well on club level abroad, Kaimbi said he still has ambitions to come back home to the national football team.
“I have never closed the door on my roots at the Brave Warriors and I'm always available to be part of the team and to represent my country.
“If I do happen to get a call-up and I'm able to travel under Covid-19 restrictions, I'll be happy to be back on the pitch wearing our national colours,” he said.
Be open to advice
Asked what his secret to success is, Kaimbi said it takes a lot of dedication, hard work and sometimes sacrifice.
He also advised players to be open to taking advice and not to think that they are indispensable to the game.
“New talent emerges every day and career-threatening injuries do happen,” he cautioned.
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