A native of Windhoek, Namibia, Anuschka Coelho studied choreography at the University of Cape Town. She subsequently spent two years in Germany, in Soltau and Frankfurt, qualifying as a beautician and nail designer. For almost 18 years now, she has run her own beauty salon in Namibia. But she has been a Borussia Dortmund fan for even longer.

You became a member of African Buffaloes Namibia fan club in 2000. Who founded the club and when was it established?
Our fan club was founded over twenty years ago in Windhoek by Klaus “Luis” Verbuecheln and Jochen Bracht. A distant relative of the footballer Jockel Bracht, Jochen has sadly since passed away. Both lived in Dortmund and became passionate about the club before emigrating to Namibia. In Windhoek, they soon encountered equally ardent fans and, as a group, they established African Buffaloes Namibia in 1999. I’ve served as the club secretary for over a decade now – something that gives me great pleasure. Our fan club has now grown to over 100 members who get together to watch Borussia Dortmund matches and also connect via Facebook.

How do you follow Borussia Dortmund games in Namibia?
Before the Corona pandemic, we mostly watched Borussia Dortmund games at the German sports and gymnastics club in Windhoek, which is also our clubhouse. What’s more, we watch most Borussia Dortmund games against Bayern Munich with that team’s local fan club and often make a big event out of it. At the moment, we are in the process of designing a small Borussia Dortmund fan corner in our clubhouse.

Have you ever been to SIGNAL IDUNA PARK?
Of course – four times already! Each one was totally electrifying, but the July 2013 visit was even more so than usual. Over 80,000 spectators filled the stadium for the Super Cup final and our team beat Bayern Munich 4-2. Whenever I plan to go on vacation in Germany, I always check the Borussia Dortmund fixtures list first. I really hope spectators will be allowed back into football stadiums again soon.

The fan club also does charitable work. Can you tell us about that?
That’s true. We are currently installing shade netting at a kindergarten. After that, we’ll bring a bit of a winter warmth to a state-run nursing home. The old folks will receive a gift pack with a blanket, hygiene products and packet soups. It won’t be a moment too late because winter already starts here from late May and the government doesn’t properly care for the elderly. On top of that, the African Buffaloes are also involved in an anti-poaching initiative.
Interview: Uwe Schedlbauer

In this section, our main sponsor Evonik, who supports us at all of our international games, lets soccer fans who feel close to Borussia Dortmund but live nowhere near SIGNAL IDUNA PARK have their say.