History will remember Tsumeb-born Franciskus ‘Bigman’ Schultz as one of the greatest captains Black Africa ever had.
The hard-running fullback skippered the all-conquering Lively Lions to multiple cup triumphs – including an unprecedented Castle Classic Cup and the coveted Mainstay Cup double in 1989.
But Bigman’s journey didn’t start on the big stage.
He began his schooling at St Francis Catholic Primary in Tsumeb before moving to Windhoek at age 12.
“I didn’t know much about school football growing up in Tsumeb,” he recalls. “I only got exposed to organised football at St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School in Windhoek. That’s where I played for the under-13 team.”
Even back then, you see the athletic build and recognise leadership traces in him. At St Andrew’s, he lined up alongside legends like sprint icon Frank ‘NamBlitz’ Fredericks and former Young Ones hotshot David ‘Donkey’ Majiedt.
From Windhoek, I moved on to Keetmanshoop, where I attended Suiderlig Secondary School.
“At Suiderlig, I met the likes of Chris Amakali, Mabos Vries, and Salathiel ‘Stimela’ Ndjao. Those were very competitive years for a place on the school team,” Schultz reminisces.
“Amakali went on to play for Black Africa and later Chief Santos in Tsumeb while Vries and Ndjao became household names with Katutura giants Orlando Pirates after school.”
It was during his time at Keetmanshoop that Schultz started to play club football for the new kid on the block, Brasilie FC, which was actually his late father, Henry Schultz’ team.
Says Schultz: “I started playing club football for Brasilie at Keetmanshoop. I will never forget our first trips to Windhoek and Tsumeb, where we were taught a thorough football lesson.
“Black Africa defeated us 5-1, which was a little respectable, but we got the thumping of our lives at Chief Santos in Tsumeb who mercilessly destroyed us 21-1 in 1984.”
He points out that the scoresheet pointed towards a thorough drubbing by two of some of the country’s most successful teams, but the lessons they learned were invaluable.
He explains that the team was newly formed and it was their first ever trip; they travelled outside Keetmanshoop to go play against top opposition to gain invaluable exposure.
The retired fullback says that notwithstanding the fact that they received humiliating scores during their first tour, nothing can replace the experience the young team gained at Tsumeb and Windhoek.
The very same Chris Amakali, with whom he played for the Suiderlig Secondary School team, would later play a key role in introducing him to Black Africa.
“My friendship with Chris (Amakali) continued beyond our school days. He came to Windhoek from Tsumeb, where he played for Santos, to attend his teachers’ training at the former Academy College,” Schultz recalls.
“He kept fit by training with BA, and one day, he asked me to follow him to practice. I made an immediate impression at BA, and I was included in the B team during our tour to Arandis, where I impressed more.”
He was immediately drafted into the right-back position that was previously occupied by Seth ‘Orlando’ Boois, who was moved up into midfield.
The very same Boois, who is now late, would go on to become one of Black Africa’s and Namibia’s most successful coaches who also coached the senior national football team.
Says Schultz: “My success story didn’t come cheaply. I really worked very hard on the training ground to become the outstanding attacking defender I was with BA.
“I embodied the Black Africa winning mentality, and I continuously asked for advice and listened attentively to my coaches and more experienced teammates to improve myself.”
In fact, playing for Black Africa was not just joining another team for the young Schultz but a continuation of the family legacy because his uncle, from his paternal side, Ectos Kandundu also starred for BA during one of the club’s most successful eras in the 1970s.
The marauding defender, who made scoring goals a part of his contribution towards the team, is also a two-time league winner for the Lively Lions but not as a captain.
“I must admit that I was a very bad loser, especially against our bitter rivals Orlando Pirates, because a defeat to them would end up in mockery by their fans,” he says.
“The thing is, my father’s house was in Nama location and my uncle from my paternal side Petrus Kandundu lived in Dolam, which is considered as the heart of the Pirates fans.”
He says that the mocking will continue until BA won the next match against Pirates.
Schultz, who also won the John Player Special (JPS) Cup twice with Black Africa, also added the Windhoek Lager Cup to his trophy haul after defeating bitter rivals Pirates on a penalty shootout.
His trophy collection did not end there, the gigantic defender is also a two-time winner of the Metropolitan Champion of Champions Cup – meaning that he has won every major cup available in domestic football, except the elusive Novel Ford Cup.
The former defender, who’s playing style was characterised by speed, aggression and tactical awareness, says that a player like midfield kingpin Lucky ‘Thindwa’ Bostander brought the best out of him.
Explains Schultz: “Anyone who has seen Lucky (Bostander) play know what I am talking about. On his day Lucky was unplayable and he was by far the most intelligent midfielder in the country and a maestro when it comes to passing.
“We would always force our opponents to concentrate on the left side of our attack then Lucky will hold the ball turn around with it while waiting for me to run into the opposition half from the open right side. Once I was within shooting range, the rest is history.”
Schultz formed a formidable back-four with the likes of Cosmos ‘Indies’ Damaseb, Ernst ‘Gindis’ Gawanab and Ringo Skrywer.
His scintillating form in the Black Africa jersey didn’t go unnoticed as the pre-independence provincial selectors came and the rising star was accorded to wear the Zebra jersey against Boputhatswana in 1986.
He says that he and former Sorento Bucks and African Stars ball-juggler Reynhardt ‘Waga-Waga’ Goagoseb, were the only two newcomers in the South West Africa team.
Schultz, who was also a formidable 100m and 200m sprinter for the CDM Athletics Club, where he was employed towards the end of his playing career, is also a proud winner of Footballer of the Year award during the Inter-Mines Soccer Championships in 1990.
Still on the individual awards, the Keetmanshoop-based star, was named as BA’s Most Improved Young Player at one of the club’s prize-giving ceremonies.
He married Salid Schultz in 1998 and the couple is blessed with two children.
“I enjoyed putting opposition defenders under pressure with my powerful runs into their half, but I also had struggles of my own,” he says.
“I always struggled to contain former Tigers’ fearsome striker Frans ‘Foresta’ Nicodemus. He was a tricky player and it took me well over a year to figure out his playing style.”
Schultz is now making a living through farming. He is farming with goats, sheep, chickens at his farm outside Keetmanshoop.
He points out that the business is going very well but stock-theft is still making the lives of farmers miserable in his area.
Schultz also has one regret and is that he never went for further his studies.
“My advice to young players is that they must educate themselves. I regret that I never made use of the opportunities that I had to go to university because of football,” he says.