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Ambassadors: Soccer
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Desiree Ellis first played for South Africa’s national women’s soccer team, Banyana Banyana, in 1993, scoring a hat trick on her debut against Swaziland. The following year she became captain of the side and subsequently led Banyana until she retired in April 2002. A midfielder, Ellis led the way in helping women’s soccer raise its profile in South Africa. When the country hosted the African Women’s Championship in 2000, she skippered the side to a runners-up finish. Ellis was given recognition for her services to soccer in the same year when she received a Silver Presidential Sports Award. In 2002 she led Banyana to the Cosafa Cup title. During her time in the team South Africa enjoyed tremendous success, winning 23 matches, losing seven and drawing two. Ellis has more recently been seen as a soccer commentator on the television station, e-TV.
Joe Kadenge (Kenya)
Joe Kadenga, the present manager of Kenya’s national
soccer team, the Harambee Stars, is regarded as the finest footballer ever produced by that country. He starred for Abaluhya FC, the club that later became AFC Leopards, helping it to a very successful run in the 1960s when it regularly won silverware in local and African competition. Kadenge also represented the national team for 14 years. Despite retiring from the game in 1968, Kadenge is today still held in high regard by all Kenyans, a legendary figure in the history of soccer in that country and such was his influence that one of the most famous football sayings in Kenya remains “Kadenge na mpira shuti goal!”
Doctor Khumalo (South Africa)
Kaizer Chiefs’ icon Doctor Khumalo was part of the team when Bafana Bafana was introduced to the world in 1992 in a game against Cameroon. The silky-skilled midfielder wrote his name in the history books that day by scoring the only goal of the match to give South Africa victory. Almost 10 years later, and with 50 caps to
his name, Khumalo ended his career with the South African national team. During his time with Bafana Bafana he scored just nine goals, but Khumalo was recognised not for his goal-scoring prowess, but rather for his vision and passing. He played an integral role in South Africa’s success at the 1996 African Cup of Nations, setting up Mark Williams for one of Bafana’s two goals in a 2-0 win over Tunisia in the final. Khumalo, an idol to countless Kaizer Chiefs’ fans, also played abroad in both the United States and Argentina.
Marks Maponyane (South Africa)
A fan favourite at South Africa’s two biggest soccer clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, Marks Maponyane is today a familiar face to fans of the game as a sports presenter on television. A striker, Maponyane enjoyed a long and fruitful career, although, unfortunately for him, South Africa’s readmission to international competition came near the end of his career, resulting in him winning just 13 caps for
Bafana Bafana. He is the only player in the history of South African soccer to be named Player of the Year on three occasions.
Peter Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)
Originally from Zimbabwe’s Highlanders Football Club, it is in England that striker Peter Ndlovu has enjoyed playing most of his career. Campaigning in both the Premier League and the First Division, Ndlovu has played his trade with Coventry City, Sheffield United, Huddersfield and Birmingham City. Most effective as a winger, Ndlovu’s trademarks are his speed and his close control. He has scored 30 goals for his country, Zimbabwe, at the superb strike rate of a goal every two matches. When South Africa returned to international soccer, Ndlovu stamped his mark on the game by scoring the first of Zimbabwe’s four goals in a 4-1 triumph. He is also known for his surname that English commentators have failed to master, leading them to call him “Und-love”.
Lucas Radebe (South Africa)
South Africa’s
most capped international player of all time, Lucas Radebe has forged a very successful career for himself as a star in defence for English club, Leeds United. Radebe’s is a classic rags-to-riches story: he was one of 11 children brought up in a rough area of Soweto and played soccer to keep himself busy when sent away from home to keep him out of trouble. He was originally a goalkeeper, but then made the move to defence then midfield. A scout for glamour club, Kaizer Chiefs, spotted Radebe’s talent and the rest as they say is history. Known as ‘ The Chief’ by fans of Leeds, Radebe is a highly respected figure, both for his leadership and his play. World soccer’s governing body, Fifa, honoured him in 2002 with the Fifa Fair Play Award for his efforts to rid soccer of racism and for his work with young children in South Africa.
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Peter Ndlovu has scored 30 goals for the Zimbabwean national team at the superb rate of one every two games |
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