Abednigo Ngcobo

Abednigo Valdez "Shaka" Ngcobo (10 May 1950 – 1 November 2014)[1] was a South African association football player who played in South Africa for Penarol, Minnesota Kicks, Denver Dynamos and Kaizer Chiefs.

Abednigo Ngcobo
Personal information
Full name Abednigo Valdez Ngcobo
Date of birth 10 May 1950
Place of birth Cato Manor, Durban
Date of death 1 November 2014 (aged 64)
Place of death Alexandra, Gauteng
Playing position(s) Striker
Youth career
African Bush Rangers
Rand Koreans
1969 Union Jacks
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970 Zulu Royals ? (?)
1971 African Wanderers 20 (11)
1972–1985 Kaizer Chiefs 260 (158)
1975–1976 Denver Dynamos 3 (0)
1976–1980 Minnesota Kicks 20 (5)
1980–1981 Penarol 15 (18)
Total 318 (192)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 May 2012

Club career

Ngcobo was born in Cato Manor near Durban, South Africa, and started played amateur soccer at a young age for African Bush Rangers, Rand Koreans, Union Jacks. He later joined Zulu Royals and African Wanderers in the new NPSL for blacks in 1971. In 1972, Ngcobo was recruited by Kaizer Chiefs' Ewert Nene when he scored 6 goals against them in a friendly match. In 1974, he won the league and the BP Top 8 and in the same season he scored a hat trick in a 7–1 win over Moroka Swallows. He left for Denver Dynamos in 1975 after leading Chiefs to their first ever league title the previous season with Kaizer Motaung and Patrick Ntsoelengoe. Motaung scored seven goals that season, providing one assist, Ntsoelengoe scored five goals and four assists and Ngcobo netted five times, while delivering six assists.[2] The following season, Ngcobo and Ntsoelengoe both moved to Minnesota Kicks. In 1976 where he won the Benson and Hedges Trophy, Sales House Cup and the BP Top 8 he set a new record of the fastest goal scored in 10 seconds in a 3–1 win over Moroka Swallows on 11 October 1976 in Vosloorus. In February 1980, before being named the 1979 Footballer of Year, he scored against Highlands Park in that famous Mainstay Cup Final replay and he scored a 13-minute hat-trick against Moroka Swallows. He went AWOL for trials in Uruguay with Penarol organised by Mario Tuani along with Goodenough Nkomo upon returning he was fined R1000. He later played for Penarol being striker partners with young Venancio Ramos and Fernando Morena.[3] After suffering from niggling knee injuries later in his career, Valdez retired in December 1984.[4][5]

International career

Ngcobo played for the SA Black XI in 1973 in a match against a team billed as the UK All Stars. He played in a second match against another All Stars side in 1979, at the Rand Stadium.[1][5]

Style of play

Former Marabastad Sundowns player and older brother of Zane Moosa, Essop "Smiley" Moosa said " 'Shaka' had great speed and he was unbelievably strong. He could play both as a striker and as a winger, the last position being his best, I felt. He was also a fantastic goalscorer, he had a very educated left-foot, but he could score with both feet."[2] Former Chiefs captain between 1975 and 1986, Ryder Mofokeng said "he could dribble past defenders, he could pass, he could cross and he could shoot. He was one of the best all-round strikers South Africa had."[6]

After retirement

Ngcobo ran a taxi business in Alexandra and lived with his wife Khanyisile and his daughter.[2]

Death

He died of a heart attack at his home on 1 November 2014, after complaining of chest pains early that morning and died a few hours later.[1]

gollark: Ah. You did mention that, yes.
gollark: Problem: you still need to handle random shutdowns in case of e.g. crash.
gollark: CC: *Tweaks*.
gollark: Tape backup/restore.
gollark: A program to print Tau to a few hundred decimal places.

References
  1. Mark Gleeson: ″Kaizer Chiefs legend Shaka Ngcobo dies.″ In: Business Day (South Africa), 3 November 2014.
  2. "News". M.kaizercheifs.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  3. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. "Peñarol Montevideo (1981) - National Football Teams". National-football-teams.com. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  4. "Durban Living Legend – Abednigo Shaka Ngcobo". Ulwazi.org. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  5. Maguire, Richard (1 November 2014). "Rest In Peace, Shaka Ngcobo". kickoff.com. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  6. "News". Kaizerchiefs.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
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