The senseless cold-blooded murder of former Black Africa, Tigers, Kaizer Chiefs (Arandis) and Tamariskia outfit Celtics Football Clubs playmaker Maleagie Zulu ‘Ace’ Clay has left many in utter shock and dismay. The retired skilful attacking midfielder’s lifeless body was found lying in the streets of Havana, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Namibia’s largest residential area Katutura, west of the country’s Metropolitan hub Windhoek, in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Unconfirmed speculations have it that the usually easygoing Clay was on his way home when he was suddenly confronted by ‘Tsotsies’, who robbed and mercilessly attacked him with a sharp object, causing his demise. 

Indeed, a puke-inducing very sad chapter for someone who has given so much to the game of football, transitioning to eternity in such unprovoked brutal fashion.     His shocking death follows short on the heels of noted former footies Seth Tjazuko, ‘Zala’ Numbala, ‘Bomber’ Hanstein, ‘/Hurob’ Zimmer-Goreseb, ‘Ronnie’ Shannon, Jackson Meroro, ‘Dove’ Fransman, ‘Bossie’ Gariseb, Chief ‘Joine’ Kambirongo, Jose Coelho, and the likeable dreadlocked attacker ‘Kaskas’ Angula. May their combined souls rest in ancestral power.

History reveals that Katutura outfit Black Africa unearthed the finest talent in the domestic football scene over the years. Such was the club’s immense dominance that many young and exciting footballers struggled to break into the team’s starting lineup, and were made to settle to play in the second team. 

Make no mistake, Black Africa’s second strings could take on any team in the topflight league at any given time, giving them a decent run for their money. 

As much as the unplayable Gemengde outfit dominated football in the top echelons of Namibian football, their second team handsomely returned the compliment to their seniors, brushing teams aside with relative ease in the highly-competitive lower-tier league, bar the ‘Brave Lions of Judah’, Hungry Lions, and of course to a certain extent Eastern Jumpers and Acro Chiefs.  

Almost 90% of the players in the second team could walk blindfolded into any other team in the country’s flagship league without having to shed an ounce of sweat for a starting berth. The likes of free-scoring, toe-poking attacker Kantori Paulino, Sibala ‘Becks’ Kgobetsi, ‘Zambia Motola’ Louis, ‘Pele’ Uri-khob, Pierre Janeiro, Magic Mamarigane, and a few others were exceptional ballers. 

However, one player who caught the eye was a light-skinned midfielder going by the name of Clay. He was a complete baller blessed with amazing dribbling skills, phenomenal first touch, close ball control, and an eye for a killer pass. 

Well, the name says it all, Clay was a marvel to watch. Had it not been for the presence of the great ‘Lucky’ Boostander, Hannes Louw and Zukhile Mogane, he would have been a regular starter in the BA star-studded starting eleven. 

Though he was not the fastest of players, Clay casually bossed proceedings in the middle of the park and was without a doubt the go-man to carving open tight defences with his trademark killer passes. He was cool and super- intelligent, ball-wise very few could match his God-given football talent and prowess. 

Truthfully speaking, he was the epitome of pure football artistry, the kind of player every football coach worth their salt would have loved to have in their dressing rooms. He was not only a regular goal assistant, the brother also weighed in with vital well-taken match-winning goals whenever the situation demanded. 

Since he was stationed in the mining town of Arandis in the Erongo region, Clay also pulled the strings in the middle of the park for the mining town’s leading club Kaizer Chiefs before winding his promising football career with the exciting Tamariskia outfit Celtics Football Club in Swakopmund. 

He formed a telepathic partnership with the equally highly-gifted attackers ‘Melkies’ Hendricks, Largo Slinger and Deon Broockes in Celtics’ well-oiled engine room. Admittedly, their opponents dreaded coming face to face with the grass and foam strip outfit whenever the abovementioned trio lined up against them. 

He shepherded the Rossing Uranium Mine football team’s firing line with great aplomb, steering the team to victory in the annual Inter-Mines games. Some of his celebrated teammates in the Rossing Uranium team were Jackson Meroro, Jesse Diergaardt, Melkies Hendricks, Patrick Basson, Shakes Bernarus, Boni Paulino, Riva Jakonia and Koko Muatunga, amongst others. 

Clay won the prestigious Golden Boot award, courtesy of his five-goal tally in the Chamber of Mines tourney at the Windhoek stadium, and went on to play a pivotal role when Celtics won their first major trophy. 

The stylish Tamariskia outfit defeated Hout-Bay 3-2 in a 5-goal thriller on home soil to claim their first major trophy since the club’s inception in 1977. 

The player will go down in history as one of the less-talked-about but most super-talented attacking midfielders of his generation. Peddling on the nickname of the legendary former Kaizer Chiefs flawless playmaker the late Patrick ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe was not for every Dick, Tom and Harry. Zulu was surely worth the nickname, and certainly lived up to the name tag. 

Born in Otjiwarongo on 26 September 1959, the dribbling wizard is a proud product of the unofficial school of excellence (football-wise) St Joseph’s Secondary School (Dobra). Clay enjoyed very fruitful but rather short-lived spells with Katutura old-timers and the unpredictable giant killers Eastern Jumpers at different intervals.  

The author had the opportunity and privilege of playing against Clay and can confidently confirm that he was a super-phenomenal baller possessing all the required attributes of a complete footballer. He rarely lost ball possession whenever he had that spherical object glued to his tiny feet. 

A dribbling wizard of note, with a brilliant first touch, and a sharp eye for a killer pass from tight angles Clay was your typical modern-day false number nine, without a shadow of doubt one of the greatest talents to have ever played the beautiful game of football on Namibian soil. Go well my brother, until our paths cross again in Heaven.