Stimulating sports: South Africa's greatest footballer

South Africa's greatest football player didn't run a team after his career ended, like Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono. Nor did he get a chance to strut his stuff in the biggest leagues against the best players in the world, like Lucas Radebe or Benni McCarthy. Instead, South Africa's best player was a quiet man, who spent the best years of his career in his home country and in the United States, wowing teammates and opponents alike with his considerable skill. In a later era, he would have been the subject of video mixes on YouTube and grown wealthy through salary and endorsements. But like with many other legends, the timing just wasn't right and Ace Ntsoelengoe didn't become a global icon. Not that he would have minded though.

If you look for photos of Ntsoelengoe, you'll soon see that almost all of them look like the one on the right. Happy. Confident. A young man whose charisma fairly leaps out at you. And by all accounts what you saw is what you got. For Ntsoelengoe truly took pleasure in the simple joys of just being on the pitch and having the chance to display his skills. While on winter holidays back home during the North American Soccer League offseason, Ntsoelengoe turned out for Kaizer Chiefs, the country's most popular team. His appearances inevitably caused much excitement, for Ntsoelengoe played--and won--with considerable style and flair.

Patrick Pule "Ace" Ntsoelengoe (pronounced Net-so-len-gay) was born in Randfontein on February 26, 1956. He received his nickname from his father, Daniel, who was also an accomplished player. Ntsoelengoe began his professional career in the U.S. in 1973, when he suited up for the Miami Toros. He missed the following campaign but returned in 1975, embarking on a hugely successful North American career.

That year, he scored 10 goals in 21 games for the Denver Dynamos (a midfielder, Ntsoelengoe frequently pushed up into an attacking position). Franchises came and went in the NASL and in 1976, the Dynamo moved to Minnesota, where it was re-named the Minnesota Kicks. It was in the frozen north that Ntsoelengoe cemented his reputation as one of the top stars in the league. He scored 50 goals in 155 appearances with the team. Playing alongside the likes of former Middlesbrough striker Alan Willey and ex-Luton Town goalscorer Ron Futcher, Ntsoelengoe led the Kicks to four straight division titles (1976-1979). Minnesota reached the "Soccer Bowl," the league's championship game, in 1976, losing to Toronto. The kicks were a success off the field as well, as the new sport of soccer rapidly gained a foothold, with the team frequently drawing large crowds to Metropolitan Stadium.

Despite its success, the Minnesota franchise, like every other in the league, eventually fell on hard times and ended up folding in 1981. Ntsoelengoe joined the Toronto Blizzard and the hits kept on coming. He appeared in 59 games for the team, scoring 23 times and leading Toronto to the 1983 Soccer Bowl final (a 2-0 loss to Tulsa played before a crowd of 56,452 in Vancouver). Altogether, Ntsoelengoe spent 11 seasons in the NASL and ended his career as the league's fifth all-time leading scorer. He was named to the league's All-Star team in 1979 and 1982 and earned honorable mention on three other occasions. He played on nine playoff teams and was named to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.

In an interview with the New York Times after the player's death, Clive Toye, the Blizzard's former team president said, ''I bought him for $10,000 from Minnesota, where he was a hero. If Ace had been playing in recent years, he would have been as famous as any of the current European stars. He had skill, vision, superb passing ability, scoring ability, confidence to do the unthinkable. A truly great player."

''Off the field he was a very quiet, gentle man. The only time I ever heard him complain was when the apartheid government of South Africa declared his part of the country a separate nation called Bophuthatswana (he was a Tswana) and took away his South African passport. Since no other nation recognized Bophuthatswana, we had to go through contortions to get him documents allowing him to return to Canada to play and travel with the Blizzard.''

With the North American season taking place in spring and summer, Ntsoelengoe was able to return home to South Africa and play during the winter. He starred for Kaizer Chiefs, the team founded by Kaizer Motaung, another South African who was one of the stars of the NASL. He was revered by his countryman and opponents alike.

Clive Barker, who coached South Africa to the African Cup of Nations title in 1996, was coaching Amazulu in 1976. His squad met Chiefs in the Cup final and Ntsoelengoe was simply amazing, leading his team to a 3-1 victory in the first leg and following with a 5-2 thrashing in the return. Barker--who in later years put Ntsoelengoe on a par with Zinedine Zidane--said he actually applauded a goal Ntsoelengoe scored in the second game. The move began with Ntsoelengoe making an audacious adjustment in mid-stride and at full speed before curling the shot around the advancing keeper.

Said Motaung, "the skills of the back-to-back world footballer of the year, Ronaldinho, come closest to describing Ace's style of play. Fans across the bridge at the Orlando West's shanty ground, almost a kilometer from Ace's stomping ground of Orlando Stadium, would know when Ace was in possession as the loud cries of "Aaaaaaaaaaaace!" carried out of the stadium. A trademark of his game was his sudden decision to simply walk with the ball at his feet while the game around him was being played at furious pace."

Another admirer was manager Oscar Martinez, who coached an Argentine select side against Bafana Bafana in a 1976 match. Led by Ntsoelengoe, the South Africans won 5-0 and Martinez was asked to rate South Africa's players. Speaking of Ntsoelengoe he said "That boy is mint. He is almost a perfect footballer. He can dribble, he can shoot, he can attack and he can defend."

Warming to his subject, Martinez went on, "I can tell you why Ace stands head and shoulders above all your players. He is intelligent; he's got great ability and he is strong and courageous. He plays like he's got a machine inside of his body. He knows when to dribble and when to shoot. What I like about Ace is that he is good in the air, good on the ground and good everywhere you can think of. I cannot remember seeing the ball taken away from him."

Ntsoelengoe stayed involved in the game after retiring, helping with Chiefs' youth program and also coaching the South African under-23 squad for a time. Other than that, the quiet man continued to live a quiet life, or seemingly so. Ntsoelengoe passed away on May 8, 2006. He was found slumped behind the wheel of his car and the official cause of death was listed as a heart attack. After his passing though, seamy details emerged about Ntsoelengoe's private life. In an August 17, 2007 report in The Sowetan newspaper, Ntsoelengoe's widow, Thato, stated that "at least 15" women had called her since her husband's death, claiming he had fathered their children. One woman, Tshepiso Manana, claimed the player fathered her twins and that on another occasion, he kicked her in the stomach causing her to abort a third child. Others accused Manana of pulling similar stunts on other occasions and maintained she was just trying to scam Ntsoelengoe's widow in order to gain a share of the player's estate. It was an ugly end to a life and career that spawned so many wonderful memories, like this moving tribute from South African journalist Tony Karon, written soon after Ntsoelengoe's death.

http://tonykaron.com/2006/05/09/hamba-kahle-ace-ntsoelengoe/