{{short description|South African soccer player (born 1994)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Zitha Kwinika | image = 200px|Zitha Kwinika (Macheke) at the 2021/22 Stellenbosch FC awards gala | caption = | fullname = Alton Zitha Kwinika<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations - Group A squads |url=http://admin.cafonline.com/Portals/0/Group%20A%20U-23.pdf |access-date=21 October 2020 |website=cafonline.com |publisher=Confederation of African Football}}</ref><ref name="soccerway">{{Soccerway|alton-zitha-kwinika/370869|accessdate=2 September 2023}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|1|4|df=y}} | birth_place = Meadowlands, South Africa | height = 1.79 m<ref name="soccerway"/> | position = Defender | currentclub = Kaizer Chiefs | clubnumber = 4 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2014 | youthclubs1 = Kaizer Chiefs | years1 = 2014–2016 | clubs1 = Kaizer Chiefs | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2015–2016 | clubs2 = → Chippa United (loan) | caps2 = 13 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2016–2019 | clubs3 = Chippa United | caps3 = 53 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2016–2017 | clubs4 = → Thanda Royal Zulu (loan) | caps4 = 29 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2019–2020 | clubs5 = Bidvest Wits | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2020–2022 | clubs6 = Stellenbosch | caps6 = 55 | goals6 = 1 | years7 = 2022– | clubs7 = Kaizer Chiefs | caps7 = 51 | goals7 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2015 | nationalteam1 = South Africa U23 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | club-update = 4 January 2026 | nationalteam-update = 22:54, 21 October 2020 (UTC) }} '''Alton Zitha Kwinika''' (born 4 January 1994) is a South African soccer player who plays as a defender for South African Premier Division side Kaizer Chiefs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.kaizerchiefs.com/news/chiefs-welcome-kwinika-du-preez/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=30 May 2022 |archive-date=5 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705185750/https://www.kaizerchiefs.com/news/chiefs-welcome-kwinika-du-preez/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Early life== Macheke was born in Meadowlands.<ref name="Macheke relishes Chippa challenge">{{Cite news |last=Mailwane |first=Tshepang |date=24 July 2015 |title=Macheke relishes Chippa challenge |work=Daily Dispatch |url=https://www.pressreader.com/article/281809987592321 |access-date=21 October 2020 |via=pressreader.com}}</ref>
==Club career== He started his career at Kaizer Chiefs, and was promoted to their first team in 2014.<ref name="Weekend post">{{Cite news |last=Nkanjeni |first=Vuyokazi |date=19 January 2019 |title=Chippa star relishing chance to make an impact |work=Weekend Post |url=https://www.pressreader.com/article/282235191842871 |access-date=21 October 2020 |via=pressreader.com}}</ref> He joined Chippa United on a season-long loan in summer 2015,<ref name="Macheke relishes Chippa challenge" /> before joining the club on a two-year deal after his contract at Chiefs expired in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2016 |title=Chippa United Has Signed Zitha Macheke |url=https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/Category/south-africa/chippa-united-has-signed-zitha-macheke/231964 |access-date=21 October 2020 |website=Soccer Laduma}}</ref><ref name="zulu loan">{{Cite web |date=29 July 2016 |title=Chippa United confirm the loan of Zitha Macheke to Thanda Royal Zulu |url=https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/psl-transfer-news/chippa-united-confirm-the-loan-of-zitha-macheke-to-thanda-royal-zulu/571213 |access-date=21 October 2020 |website=Kick Off}}</ref> He joined Thanda Royal Zulu on loan for the 2016–17 season.<ref name="zulu loan" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nkanjeni |first=Vuyokazi |date=26 July 2016 |title=Macheke, Cele off on loan to Royal Zulu |work=The Herald |url=https://www.pressreader.com/article/282209420216148 |access-date=21 October 2020 |via=pressreader.com}}</ref> He joined Bidvest Wits in July 2019,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mlotha |first=Sipho |date=5 July 2019 |title=Gavin Hunt confirms Bidvest Wits signing of Zitha Macheke |url=https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/premiership/gavin-hunt-confirms-bidvest-wits-signing-of-zitha-macheke/658505 |access-date=21 October 2020 |website=Kick Off}}</ref> and made 24 appearances for the club,<ref name="soccerway" /> before signing for Stellenbosch in summer 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Breakfast |first=Siviwe |date=18 September 2020 |title=PSL transfer news: Stellenbosch sign Zitha Macheke from Wits |language=en-ZA |work=The South African |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/soccer/psl-south-africa/transfer-news-stellenbosch-sign-zitha-macheke-from-wits/ |access-date=21 October 2020}}</ref> At the end of the 2021/22 season, he was named as Stellenbosch FC's Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year before completing a return to boyhood club, Kaizer Chiefs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/premiership/stellenbosch-fc-face-nervy-wait-to-discover-caf-confederation-cup-fate-after-cape-derby-triumph/717829|title=Official: Kwinika to return to Chiefs|publisher=Kick Off|last=Bekker|first=Liam|date=18 May 2022|accessdate=22 May 2022}}</ref>
==International career== He has represented South Africa at under-23 level, playing at the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
==Honours== Kaizer Chiefs * '''''Absa Premiership''''':'''2014/15''' * '''Cufa Cup''':'''2024''' * '''Home of Legends Cup''':'''2024''' * '''Nedbank Cup''':'''2025''' <ref name="soccerway" /><ref name="Weekend post" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Kaizer Chiefs F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macheke, Zitha}} Category:Living people Category:1994 births Category:South African men's soccer players Category:People from Meadowlands, Gauteng Category:Soccer players from Gauteng Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Kaizer Chiefs F.C. players Category:Chippa United F.C. players Category:Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. players Category:Bidvest Wits F.C. players Category:Stellenbosch F.C. players Category:South African Premier Division players Category:National First Division players Category:South Africa men's youth international soccer players Category:21st-century South African sportsmen