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Elton Chifamba aimlessly ran around WakeMed Soccer Park. A euphoric feeling filled him following Clemson’s 2-0 win over Washington in the 2021 NCAA Championship.

There was only one problem. Chifamba didn’t know how to celebrate. He waved his arms and frantically scanned the field as huddles formed. Everything was a blur until he locked eyes with a familiar face — his older brother, Lincoln Chifamba.

Initially befuddled at how Lincoln made it onto the field, Chifamba didn’t care. The two shared a warm embrace.

“What are you doing here?” Chifamba questioned.

“I jumped the fence,” Lincoln said with a smile.

All the two could do was laugh. Lincoln said that with 10 seconds left, he told his three best friends he would jump on the field. They questioned him. Lincoln didn’t hesitate, making a beeline for his little brother.

“It was kind of amazing to be able to run on the field and celebrate with him,” Lincoln said. “It’s something you always dreamed about.”

Clemson’s 2021 national championship capped off Chifamba’s freshman season. He was used mostly off the bench, starting four games and playing 659 minutes. Chifamba became a key cog in the Tigers’ midfield the following year, starting 19-of-20 contests before limited playing time as a junior led Chifamba to transfer. Now, he remains steadfast on winning a second national title, this time as a senior at Syracuse.

Leaving Clemson never seemed likely for Chifamba. His place on the team seemed cemented as an upperclassman after developing into one of the best midfielders in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Yet, the opposite happened and his playing time diminished.

A change in Clemson’s formation from head coach Mike Noonan led to a smaller role, as Chifamba started less than 50% of the Tigers’ games. Former Clemson midfielder Brandon Parrish said Noonan switched from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3. The previous system used three center midfielders while the latter used just two.

Before, Chifamba could sit between the two center backs and dictate the pace of play as a defensive midfielder. He was forced to be more of a workhorse in the new formation, flying between the 18-yard boxes. But Chifamba was held out of Clemson’s regular lineup, starting just seven games.

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Clemson went on to win its second national title in three seasons in 2023. This time, Chifamba wasn’t on the field to celebrate. He entered his name in the transfer portal before Clemson’s NCAA Tournament run.

“He needed to do that for himself,” Parrish said of Chifamba. “He needed to give himself the time to get somewhere that he really wanted to be in.”

When Chifamba woke up the morning after entering the portal, he had received an email from Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. The two exchanged phone numbers and a conversation ensued.

“I wasn’t waiting too long,” McIntyre said.

Not only did McIntyre coach against Chifamba in the ACC, but he even recruited him out of high school. Chifamba was a highly-touted prospect in the Columbus Crew’s academy and had experience playing for the United States’ U-17 National Team.

There was a trust factor from McIntyre. His familiarity with Chifamba ensured he was a good player and would fit into Syracuse’s system. The feeling was mutual.

Chifamba said SU’s program “doesn’t need an introduction.” During Syracuse’s 2022 national championship season, Chifamba started in Clemson’s two games versus the Orange, where SU won both. First, it upset then-undefeated-No. 1 Clemson 2-1 on Sept. 16. Then, they met again in the ACC Championship two months later, which Syracuse won 2-0.

Every time Chifamba matched up against SU, he knew it would be a battle. He gained a level of respect for its program. So when McIntyre connected with Chifamba, it was no surprise they hit it off.

“I just knew that (Syracuse) was the place that I wanted to be based on that first conversation,” Chifamba said.

Chifamba enrolled at Syracuse for the 2024 spring semester. The transition wasn’t difficult going from one top-tier program to the next. From the spring into the summer, Chifamba performed at a high level, McIntyre said. It didn’t take long to establish himself at the heart of Syracuse’s midfield.

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Unlike with SU, it was a gradual climb for Chifamba to gain a place in Clemson’s starting 11. When Chifamba was a freshman, the Tigers’ roster was loaded with upperclassmen, many of whom returned for a fifth year.

The expectations were high. Clemson was coming off a penalty shootout loss to Marshall — the eventual national champions — in the third round of the NCAA Tournament a year earlier. The Tigers were a hungry group, according to former Clemson defender Isaiah Reid. So, Chifamba had to raise his level of play.

He instantly displayed his potential. Every day following Clemson’s exposure camps for high schoolers in June 2021, the team broke into small-sided games. Reid was impressed by Chifamba’s one and two-touch passes in tight spaces to keep the ball. When games expanded to larger areas, Chifamba showcased his passing range. Long diagonal switches became a staple.

Despite being relatively undersized as a defensive midfielder, standing 5-foot-6, Chifamba made up for it with his soccer IQ. He kept things simple, Parrish said. Chifamba moved the ball quickly and didn’t look to dribble past players one-on-one.

“He’s very soccer clever, and used his mind a lot to make sure that he could compensate for the give and take of what he was lacking,” Parrish said.

Most of Chifamba’s early obstacles came due to college soccer’s physicality. Parrish said he utilized his body position and angles well, but he sometimes got overpowered. Noonan gave him time to acclimate, often being deployed as one of the first guys off the bench.

In his first two seasons, Chifamba worked tirelessly in the gym to develop his upper-body strength to carve out a more consistent role. It started paying dividends during his sophomore year. Chifamba continued to play fast, but not rushed. Parrish could tell things were slowing down in his mind and Chifamba was more precise.

With national-championship experience under his belt, Chifamba attained more individual success as a sophomore. He appeared in every contest, starting in all but one. The Tigers won six straight games yet faltered down the stretch, finishing the regular season 10-5-1. Clemson, the No. 8 seed, made a deep run in the ACC Tournament before losing the championship game to SU.

Elton Chifamba appeared in 56 games with Clemson across three seasons, helping the Tigers win the national championship in 2021. Now he brings his championship pedigree to Syracuse in 2024. Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer

A week later, the Tigers fell 2-1 to UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where Chifamba played 88 minutes. It was his last postseason appearance with Clemson.

Chifamba has the chance to make the same impact with Syracuse. His playstyle has largely remained the same, yet his role within the squad has changed. On a team with 12 freshmen, Chifamba stands out as a seasoned veteran.

“He’s just a guy that always knows everyone’s roles and everyone’s positions. And he’s just an overall great communicator for the team,” sophomore midfielder Nathan Scott said.

Through two games, it’s been smooth sailing for Chifamba and Syracuse. He’s controlled the tempo in wins over Colgate and Niagara. The Orange have outshot their opponents 44-6 with Chifamba pulling the strings in the midfield.

After a turbulent junior season, Chifamba is back to his best. While he doesn’t reminisce about the past, Chifamba enjoyed his time at Clemson, developing from a role player to a star midfielder. He understands that’s behind him and has moved on.

Now, Chifamba has similar championship aspirations, just with a different team.

“My focus is definitely on Syracuse and what I can do to bring to the table for the team and help them bring home another national championship,” Chifamba said.

Published on August 28, 2024 at 11:00 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22