Inside KK United FC’s Success – The Impact of Akser Nelson Iiyambo and His Journey
KK United has made history by becoming the first club from the Kavango West region to reach the Namibian Premier League. A major part of this success is 31-year-old coach Akser Nelson Iiyambo, who has built his career step by step from school football to top-flight league football.
Nelson shared the story of his coaching career with The Updated World. He holds an NFA C Coaching Licence, a FIFA Football for Schools Certificate, and a Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree from the University of Namibia. He is known for his strong focus on youth development and tactics, and he is regarded as one of the top coaches in Namibia.
Before joining any club, Nelson began his coaching career at Kandjimi Murangi Senior Secondary School, where he also serves as a teacher. Since taking over the school team, he has dominated school football competitions, guiding his side to five major tournament titles:
- 2019: Won his first trophy at the Oshela SSS Tournament in the Ohangwena region
- 2020: Won the Usko Nghaamwa Annual School Tournament, hosted by Oshikunde SS
- 2021: No tournaments were held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022: Returned to win the Oshela SSS Tournament again
- 2025: Crowned champions of the Kandjimi Murangi SSS Annual Tournament
He transformed Kandjimi Murangi Senior Secondary School not only into an academy but also into a football hub. More impressively, his schoolboys have built a strong reputation for competing against senior teams. Under his guidance, KMSSS has maintained an unbeaten record in friendlies against regional Second Division clubs, including Young Western Fighters FC, Monacco FC, and Kulisuka FC. They even hold a perfect record against his own newly promoted Premier League side, KK United, defeating them three consecutive times: 3-0 in 2024, 2-1 in 2025, and 2-1 in 2026.
“Despite coaching KK and winning promotion, this KMSSS boys’ squad is the project that is closest to my heart,” he stated. “KMSSS is a football heaven for all young school-goers, and I go out of my way to scout and bring them here.”
Iiyambo’s scouting network stretches beyond the region. He famously brought talent such as Pius Kapwita all the way from Windhoek. Kapwita went on to become one of the top performers in the 2023 Newspaper Cup, playing a key role in his team’s success.
“I spoke to his family for him to come here, and he went on to help us win the 2023 Newspaper Cup as a key player,” he explained.
The KMSSS squad has produced exceptional talents such as Anton Mbambero, Hausiku Kamanya, team captain Ben (who now plays right-back for KK United), and Gerson Kangumbe, a key player for both the national U-17 and U-20 teams.
After completing his introductory coaching certificate in 2022, Iiyambo officially stepped into league football. He was appointed Head Coach of Nankudu Eleven FC in the Kavango West Second Division, serving from August 2022 to July 2024.
He made an immediate impact. In his first season (2022/2023), he guided Nankudu Eleven FC to a runner-up finish in the Kavango West Football League, finishing second only to Supe XI FC. He followed this with a solid 4th place finish in the 2023/2024 season. His time at Nankudu FC proved his tactical consistency against experienced senior teams. In 2023, Iiyambo also obtained his official NFA C Coaching Licence.
His track record led to his appointment as caretaker coach for KK United at the end of the 2024/2025 season, when Head Coach Matjayi temporarily moved to the Oshana region. This made him the only fully licensed coach on the KK United staff by the end of 2024.
Taking charge of the squad, Iiyambo’s strategic planning proved effective.
“When I joined KK United FC, they were fighting to survive relegation. I brought in young players and applied my tactics, and we started leading the league,” he said.
“We were leading the league up until the last six games when Coach Matjayi came back,” Iiyambo recalled. “I was made an assistant, and unfortunately, the team started dropping points.”
Despite the late-season dip, his foundational work helped KK United secure a 3rd place finish in the North East First Division, the club’s highest-ever league finish at the time.
“In 2025, I won my first trophy with KK United FC when I guided them to win the Nkurenkuru Mayoral Cup,” he added.
Recognizing his impact, club management initially offered him the sole head coach position ahead of the historic 2025/2026 season. However, in a decision reflecting his leadership and humility, he declined.
“I declined, saying I would rather work as co-head coach with him due to the respect I had for him,” Iiyambo explained.
That partnership proved successful. Together, they went on to win the North East First Division 2025/2026 title, securing KK United’s historic promotion to the Namibian Premier League, the first club from Kavango West to achieve this milestone.
When Kavango West made history by winning the Newspaper Cup in 2023, the success was strongly linked to Iiyambo’s grassroots development work. Seven players in that winning squad came from KMSSS, with five starting in the first eleven.
For years, Iiyambo felt overlooked by regional technical structures despite consistently producing top talent. Today, that narrative has changed. Recognizing his expertise and fitness background, he was appointed Fitness Trainer for the Kavango West U-20 Newspaper Cup team.
“One of my dreams is to one day coach the Kavango West Newspaper Cup team and lift the trophy,” he said. “I’m proud to say I’m now part of the technical staff because I felt left out all those years, despite feeding the region with players.”
His long-term ambition is to one day become head coach of the Kavango West regional team.
Nelson is set to become one of the youngest coaches in the Namibian Premier League next season.
Akser Nelson Iiyambo has cemented his legacy. With his blend of tactical awareness, player development, and soccer analytics, the future of Kavango West football looks brighter than ever.
