Ziggy Marley Mourns Passing Of St. George’s College Manning Cup Teammate, Christopher Ziadie
Ziggy Marley has joined his St. Georges college alumni and the Jamaican football fraternity in paying tribute to his former Manning Cup teammate and national footballer, Christopher Ziadie, who passed away over the weekend.
Ziadie died on Sunday in the United States, at age 55, after a battle with cancer, which prompted the Rebellion Rises singer to express his grief about his passing as well as of another schoolmate he referred to as Warner.
“😞lost two members of our high school triple championship team in the past two days. I just want to send my love and condolences to Warner and Chris’s family. The bonds we made during the years of playing ⚽️ together, traveling, eating , walking the streets, laughing and sometimes fighting can never be broken by distance or time. JAH guide your spirits home brothers ❤️ to the family,” Ziggy noted on his Instagram page.
Zaidie was a member of the St. George’s College Manning Cup team between 1980 and 1984. He and Ziggy were members of the St. George’s College schoolboy football squad, which won back-to-back Manning Cup titles in 1983 and 1984, as well as the Olivier Shield in 1984.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, Zaidie, a midfielder, was a staple in local football in Jamaica where he represented Boys Town.
Ziadie who represented Jamaica six times between 1992 and 1993, was from a family of ace footballers. His father, the late Dennis Ziadie, was a former Jamaican national footballer and coach, while his brothers Craig and Nick also represented St George’s College and Jamaica.
Dennis Zaidie, along with Jackie Bell, who coached National Premier League club Santos, had perished in a motor vehicle accident in Mexico in 1986, after travelling to that country to watch a game at the FIFA World Cup.
Following his retirement, Chris Ziadie had gone into football management, and was named assistant coach of the Jamaica Under-20 squad in 1999. Prior to that he was coach of Real Mona and was also head coach at Waterhouse FC.
As for Ziggy, whose given name is David Nesta Marley, his love for football started as a young child and was influenced by his father Bob Marley.
He went on to play competitive football at Vaz Preparatory School and later represented St George’s College in the Manning Cup football competition for high schools.
Ziggy’s tribute was given the stamp of approval by his former St. Georges teammate and current coach of Calabar High School, Andrew Price.
“Zigman couldn’t have said it better. The bond shared among us as teammates cannot be broken. Condolences to the families of Chris and Warner. We will keep their fires burning,” Price replied.
The coach also paid tribute to Ziadie on his own Instagram page where he shared a photograph of the former national footballer and noted: “Yow Bredda!!!! See you on the otherside. Still can’t come to terms you are no longer here in the flesh. But the Father knows best.
“Glad we could have shared such great memories from childhood to adults. To know you is to love you. Walk good Christopher P. Ziadie. I will miss the comaderie, your realistic mentality, the don’t give a two hoots attitude, your zest for life. I will keep the fire burning in your honor Bro🔥🔥🔥🔥. RIP Cee Zee. One Love Forever❤️.”