Kaizer Chiefs legend Abedigno ‘Shaka’ Ngcobo was given a warm and at times emotional farewell by his friends, former teammates and his family in the packed Umlazi Cinema in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal.

Various speakers remembered the former winger, who played for the Amakhosi from 1972 to 1984. For Chiefs spoke Ngcobo’s former captain Ryder Mofokeng, Bizzah Dlamini, Ntsie Maphike and Chairman Kaizer Motaung.

Thirteen Amakhosi legends travelled by bus from Johannesburg to pay their last respect for Ngcobo. They were joined in Umlazi by Bizzah Dlamini, Ten-Ten Nzimande, Cecil Chiliza and Gerald Dlamini, who all stay in KwaZulu-Natal.

A grandchild of Ngcobo summed up the general feelings, when she said: “We will miss you. You will always be in our heart.”

Another speaker mentioned how “Shaka Ngcobo had been an ambassador for South African soccer.”

Chiefs Chairman Motaung reflected how he couldn’t believe at first the message about Ngcobo’s passing: “Shaka always brought a smile and happiness to his friends. I was very lucky to have played with him overseas. However, they did have problems to pronounce his name properly, it became ‘Nogoba’. Shaka and Ace, who was also at Denver Dynamos, were part of my family. Shaka was such a special player. Can you imagine if Bafana Bafana would have a player like him today… Where would we be. May your departed soul rest in peace.”