|
 Ace
was one of the most talented
players ever produced ever in South Africa, he played 11
seasons in the NASL, beginning in 1973 with the Miami Toros.
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Personal Information |
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Class of 2003 |
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Born: February 26, 1956 - Randfontein, South
Africa |
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Died: May
8, 2006 - Johannesburg, South
Africa |
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Position: Midfielder |
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He made his
name, however, with the Minnesota Kicks and enhanced his reputation with
Toronto Blizzard. A quiet man with incredible skills, it is quite remarkable
that his soccer career was confined to South Africa and North America. He
acquired his nickname from his father, Daniel, who was also one of
South Africa's top players. While Ace spent his
summers in Canada or in the United States, he returned home during the
winter to play for the Kaizer Chiefs, a club with an enormous following in
Johannesburg. An idol in his own country, Ace spent only one season
with Miami, missed the 1975 season but returned to the NASL in 1976 to play
for the Denver Dynamos. When that franchise moved to Minnesota in
1976, he moved along with them and thus began the first of six highly
successful years with the Kicks. He was acquired by Toronto Blizzard
in December of 1981, when the Kicks were about to fold, and become, and
became a key figure in the Blizzard's rise to become one of the top NASL
teams. He played for Minnesota in Soccer Bowl 76 and for Toronto in
Soccer Bowl 83 and the Championship Final of 1984. Nominally a midfielder,
he constantly pushed forward into attacking positions and often scored more
goals than strikers.
North American
Soccer League
Statistics |
