Eliphas Shivute

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Eliphas Shivute

| image =

| fullname = Eliphas Kambuta Shivute

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|9|27}}

| birth_place = Olukonda, South-West Africa

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| position = Forward

| years1 = 1989–1990 | clubs1 = Blue Waters | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1990–1991 | clubs2 = Eleven Arrows | caps2 = | goals2 =

| years3 = 1996 | clubs3 = Schwarz-Weiß Düren | caps3 = | goals3 =

| years4 = 1997 | clubs4 = Alemannia Aachen | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1997–1999 | clubs5 = Motherwell | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 3

| years6 = 1999–2001 | clubs6 = Dalian Wanda FC | caps6 = 24 | goals6 = 5

| years7 = 2000 | clubs7 = → Eleven Arrows (loan) | caps7 = | goals7 =

| years8 = 2001 | clubs8 = → Shenzhen Ping'an Kejian (loan) | caps8 = 17 | goals8 = 4

| years9 = 2001–2002 | clubs9 = Čukarički | caps9 = 2 | goals9 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 1992–2001 | nationalteam1 = Namibia

| nationalcaps1 = 40 | nationalgoals1 = 9

}}

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.[http://www.swapoparty.org/namibia_today/namibia_today_sport_17.pdf "Safile, an absolutely phenomenal player"] at Namibia Today Sport, 11–17 December 2009, retrieved 27-10-2018

Club career

Born in Olukonda, Shivute grew up in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay{{Cite news | url=https://neweralive.na/posts/in-conversation-with-warriors-legend-eliphas-kambuta-safile-shivute | title=In conversation with Warriors legend Eliphas Kambuta ‘Safile’ Shivute| last= Kambaekwa| first= Carlos| newspaper=New Era | date=20 March 2020}} and, affectionately known as Safile (Elifas spelled backwards), started playing in 1989 for local side Blue Waters, and later Eleven Arrows 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. 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. 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

=Motherwell=

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. 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.

He played with Motherwell until 1999 when he moved to China signing with Jia-A League club Dalian Wanda FC 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[http://allafrica.com/stories/200008180165.html Shivute Back to Play for Arrows in League] at AllAfrica.com. before moving to another Chinese top league club Shenzhen Ping'an Kejian where he played on loan until December 2001. 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/4554.html |title=Eliphas Shivute |website=National-Football-Teams.com |access-date=}} Later he played a major role in the transfer of Namibian Rudolph Bester to that club. He became the agent of Bester in 2008.

In 2006, he became assistant manager of Namibian Second Division club Invincible FC.

International career

Shivute has been part of the national team since 1992 having earned 49 caps and scored 9 times.[http://174.133.102.130/~motherwe/players/player.php?id=164 Eliphas Shivute profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810144944/http://174.133.102.130/~motherwe/players/player.php?id=164 |date=2011-08-10 }} at Motherwell official website. With Namibia he was runner-up at 1997 and 1999 COSAFA Cup. He also represented Namibia at the 1998 African Cup of Nations{{Cite news |last= Courtney|first= Barrie|date=5 June 2005 |title=African Nations Cup 1998 - Final Tournament Details |work=RSSSF |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/98a-det.html |access-date=24 September 2023}} where he scored two goals{{Cite news |last=Angula |first=Conrad |date=13 February 2014 |title=CLASS OF 1998: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? |work=The Namibian Sun|url=https://www.namibiansun.com/news/class-of-1998-where-are-they-now|access-date=23 September 2023}} 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 and he totalled 9 goals[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nami-intres.html Namibia International Matches] - RSSSF in 49 games for them.

Playing style

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.

Personal life

After retiring as a player, he became a businessman with interests in the fishing and construction industries.

Honours

Namibia

COSAFA Cup runner-up: 1997, 1999.

Individual

Namibian Sportsman of the Year: 1997 (award attributed by Namibia National Sport Council)

References

External links

{{sports links}}
[http://www.namibian.com.na/Netstories/Sport9-98/shivutespeaks.html Eliphas Shivute speaks his mind]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} - The Namibian, 4 September 1998
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070828154202/http://www.namibian.com.na/Netstories/Arts6-99/shivute.htm Eliphas - A Rising Star In China] - The Namibian, 4 June 1999
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/1175750.stm Chinese to sign young Cameroon players] - BBC Sport, 17 February 2001

Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Oshikoto Region

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Namibian men's footballers

Category:Namibia men's international footballers

Category:1998 African Cup of Nations players

Category:Blue Waters F.C. players

Category:Eleven Arrows F.C. players

Category:Motherwell F.C. players

Category:Dalian Shide F.C. players

Category:Shenzhen F.C. players