Tornado was a goal machine
He played with SA’s best-known players
Birth: April 1 1967
Died: June 27
Funeral: July 9; Service starts at 9am in Palm Springs Burial: Olifantsvlei Cemetery Jeffrey “Tornado” Ntsibande was born to score goals. He was a go-to goal-getter for all the clubs he played for – from amateur to professional level.
He duly earned his sobriquet, also thanks to his destruction of opposition defenders.
Ntsibande, who carved a niche for himself as a professional player at Giant Blackpool more than two decades ago, died on Tuesday at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. He had been admitted at the facility for four weeks following a head injury after he fell at home.
Ntsibande, who was born in Soweto 50 years ago, started playing soccer at Vusizizwe Lower Primary School in Zola North, Soweto, at the tender age of eight, before moving to Loyolo Higher Primary in Emdeni South. But it was at Emdeni Secondary where he impressed a number of scouts from amateur clubs in Soweto.
It was not long before he joined Shamrock FC of Emdeni, which played in reserve league in Soweto. His exploits at Shamrock saw him join Giant Blackpool in 1978.
He then moved to Moroka Swallows, playing alongside talented players like Joel “Ace” Mnini, Frederick “Congo” Malebane and Chris Mazibuko.
He ended the season at Swallows as a top scorer, a feat that earned him the respect of teammates and fans alike. His success at Swallows made him one of the few much sought-after players in the top flight. But it was Orlando Pirates who finally secured his signature in 1981.
He joined a team that was bustling with talent as they had players such as Jomo Sono, Eric “Chippa” Chauke, Webster Lichaba, Yster Khomane and Zero Mokgale.
He left the Buccaneers during the split in 1985 and joined Computer Stars in the lower division before he retired. Ntsibande worked as a taxi driver in 1998, before he finally decided to stay at home.
His brother Senzeni said Tornado was a special player. “He was out of this world when it came to scoring goals. He used to mesmerise defenders at will. He was unstoppable.
“His death has left all of us devastated and we will miss the wonderful time we spent with him. He was full of jokes, especially after having one or two glasses of beer. He lived his life to the fullest.”
Mnini said Ntsibande added an impetus at Swallows with his goal-scoring prowess. “He was a dependable player and was loved by all. We were very close even after retirement.”
He is survived by three children,twobrothersandtwosisters.