Hikuam finally joins US club
By Michael Uugwanga
After nearly a year of waiting and preparation, Millicent Hikuam, an exciting young female footballer is leaving for the United States of America (U.S.A) this month to study and play college soccer for Corban Warriors, a team that another Namibian female footballer,Annauscka Kordom, had earlier joined.
As part of the agreement, Hikuam will also study Sport Management for four years. Hikuam currently plays club football for Tura Magic Ladies in the Skorpion Zinc/Namibia Football Association (NFA) Super League and was influential last season in helping Tura Magic Ladies win the league title.
Hikuam will be only the third female Namibian to play college soccer abroad, following in the footsteps of Lovisa Mulunga who plays for Golden Rams at Albany University in Georgia, where she also studies.
Hikuam had planned to leave for the U.S. last April but that plan fell through when she failed to obtain the required 70 percent mark on her written test, but after retaking the test she managed to pass and will now leave for America by the end of February.
Among the people Hikuam will have to thank is her former coach, Jacky Shipanga as well as NFA’s head of women desk, Jacky Gertze and her team manager at Tura Magic Ladies Natasha Cloete, who have all been working tirelessly to make sure that the 21-year-old playmaker can make her dream come true.
Speaking to Confidente Sport Desk this week, an excited Hikuam said she never gave up hope, even after failing the written test at first attempt.
“I do not have an exact date but my coach in the U.S. will inform me by the end of January about my arrival there. It is a privilege to get a second chance and I am excited and humbled to enrol at that college.To be honest, at first I was sad and even went to an extent to question myself where I went wrong, but my mother told me that better opportunities will come forth as I must just remain positive as it was only the start of many good things to come. Kordom told me to remain positive. I’m going there to showcase my football [talents] abroad. I have been following the Corbon Warriors female team ever since they expressed their interest in me,” she said.
Hikuam considers herself as arguably the current best female midfield player in the country, ahead of already established attackers such as Memory Ngonda, Emma Naris and Thomalina Adams, who all play for Tura Magic Ladies and for the Brave Gladiators.
She is a big fan of English football giants Liverpool FC and dreams of one day playing professional football for her beloved Merseyside club Liverpool Ladies. A proud member of the Brave Gladiators, Hikuam sees Zenatha Coleman who plays professionally in Spain for Valencia as her football role model.
“I grew up supporting Liverpool because 90 percent of my family members support Liverpool. Anything in life is possible (even to play for Liverpool) if one works very hard on what you want to achieve.
“Zenatha (Coleman) since the very first day we met she really inspired me. She has a strong personality on and off the field. She is humble and down to earth, which is something rare from other players. Yes, not only am I the best midfield player but I am also the star player, because I have the ability and at the same time I’m still developing into a top class player.”