Eliphas Shivute
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eliphas Kambuta Shivute | ||
| Date of birth | September 27, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Olukonda, South-West Africa | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1990 | Blue Waters | ||
| 1990–1991 | Eleven Arrows | ||
| 1996 | Schwarz-Weiß Düren | ||
| 1997 | Alemannia Aachen | 0 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Motherwell | 24 | (3) |
| 1999–2001 | Dalian Wanda FC | 24 | (5) |
| 2000 | → Eleven Arrows (loan) | ||
| 2001 | → Shenzhen Ping'an Kejian (loan) | 17 | (4) |
| 2001–2002 | Čukarički | 2 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1992–2001 | Namibia | 49 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eliphas "Safile" Shivute (born 27 September 1974) is a Namibian retired international footballer.
He retired from football due to a knee injury in 2002 after a career spent in Chinese and European football, as well as domestically. Shivute became the first Namibian to play for a top-level side in Europe, and also, is the man who scored the first international goal for the Brave Warriors.[1]
Club career
[edit]Born in Olukonda, Shivute grew up in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay[2] and, affectionately known as Safile (Elifas spelled backwards), started playing in 1989 for local side Blue Waters, and later Eleven Arrows[1] He then played for German Fifth Division Schwarz-Weiß Düren in 1996, a non-professional side for which he scored over 13 goals in a short spell.[1] When he scored a hat trick for Düren in one of the league matches that the Alemannia Aachen scouts spotted him and immediately entered into negotiations for a contract. This negotiations ended into Safile signing a one-year-contract with Third Division Aachen.[1] Then he had several trials in Scotland, according to the Daily Record Staff, Safile has had trials with Dundee United and Hearts earlier, but Shivute decided to sign for Motherwell[1]
Motherwell
[edit]He scored twice in his trial match for and impressed Motherwell manager Alex McLeish, which Shivute admired because as youngster he followed English and Scottish football through TV and books.[1] His first full match debut in the Scottish Premier League match in a one-all draw against league leaders Hibernians earned him the “Player of the Match” award. Safile had been playing more as a schemer-striker, drifting in and around the box.[1]
He played with Motherwell until 1999 when he moved to China signing with Jia-A League club Dalian Wanda FC[1] in the costliest signing ever by then, £350,000. After one season in 2000 he shortly returned to Namibia playing for half season for his former club Eleven Arrows[3] before moving to another Chinese top league club Shenzhen Ping'an Kejian where he played on loan until December 2001.[1] That winter he returned to Europe having an 8-months spell with Serbian club FK Čukarički playing in the First League of FR Yugoslavia, just before retiring.[4] Later he played a major role in the transfer of Namibian Rudolph Bester to that club.[1] He became the agent of Bester in 2008.[1]
In 2006, he became assistant manager of Namibian Second Division club Invincible FC.[1]
International career
[edit]Shivute has been part of the national team since 1992 having earned 49[1] caps and scored 9 times.[5] With Namibia he was runner-up at 1997 and 1999 COSAFA Cup.[1] He also represented Namibia at the 1998 African Cup of Nations[6] where he scored two goals[7] in a 3-4 loss to Ivory Coast. He made his debut for the Brave Warriors in an October 1992 World Cup qualification match against Madagascar[2] and he totalled 9 goals[8] in 49 games for them.
Playing style
[edit]Namibia Today Sport describe him as striker with much improvisation and audacity, a great finisher, and with flair, speed, and shooting power in both foot and he was a good header.[1]
Personal life
[edit]After retiring as a player, he became a businessman with interests in the fishing and construction industries.[7]
Honours
[edit]Namibia
- COSAFA Cup runner-up: 1997, 1999.[1]
Individual
- Namibian Sportsman of the Year: 1997 (award attributed by Namibia National Sport Council)[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Safile, an absolutely phenomenal player" at Namibia Today Sport, 11–17 December 2009, retrieved 27-10-2018
- ^ a b Kambaekwa, Carlos (20 March 2020). "In conversation with Warriors legend Eliphas Kambuta 'Safile' Shivute". New Era.
- ^ Shivute Back to Play for Arrows in League at AllAfrica.com.
- ^ "Eliphas Shivute". National-Football-Teams.com.
- ^ Eliphas Shivute profile Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine at Motherwell official website.
- ^ Courtney, Barrie (5 June 2005). "African Nations Cup 1998 - Final Tournament Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ a b Angula, Conrad (13 February 2014). "CLASS OF 1998: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?". The Namibian Sun. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Namibia International Matches - RSSSF
External links
[edit]- Eliphas Shivute at Soccerbase.com
- Eliphas Shivute at National-Football-Teams.com
- Eliphas Shivute speaks his mind[permanent dead link] - The Namibian, 4 September 1998
- Eliphas - A Rising Star In China - The Namibian, 4 June 1999
- Chinese to sign young Cameroon players - BBC Sport, 17 February 2001
