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."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 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 ArrowsShivute 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. 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.Eliphas Shivute profile 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 where he scored two goals 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 goalsNamibia 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.
Career statistics
International
Scores and results list Namibia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Shivute goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Eliphas ShivuteNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1Botswana National Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana1–01–0Friendly2Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt1–31–71998 FIFA World Cup qualification3Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia, Liberia1–11–11998 FIFA World Cup qualification4Independence Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia4–04–11997 COSAFA Cup5Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger1–?1–3Friendly6Stade Général Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso1–33–41998 Africa Cup of Nations73–38Independence Stadium, Windhoek, Nabimia2–12–11998 COSAFA Cup9Independence Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia1–11–11999 COSAFA Cup10Stade Linité, Victoria, Seychelles1–01–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours Player Namibia COSAFA Cup: Runner-up, 1997, 1999
Individual Namibian Sportsman of the Year: 1997 (award attributed by Namibia National Sport Council)
References
External links
Eliphas Shivute speaks his mind - 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