adminTHE passing of John “Shoes” Moshoeu (pictured) has robbed South Africa of one of its greatest footballers.
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder, who captained the side on three occasions, lost his battle against stomach cancer on Tuesday at the age of 49.
He leaves those who saw him play with indelible memories of his ability, his warm personality and his humility.
And he will also be remembered for being the stand-out performer in the South Africa side that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations — their feat remarkable given they had returned only four years after the end of a decades-long international sports ban because of apartheid.
He played 73 times for Bafana Bafana and scored eight goals, four of them coming when they lifted the Nations Cup trophy on home soil — their first appearance in the tournament. Perhaps the most important of those goals was the winner he struck in a 2-1 victory over Algeria in a tense quarter-final.
“We were leading 1-0 with about five minutes to go when Algeria equalized. I was looking up at the big clock in the stadium, still battling to deal with the disappointment of conceding so late.
“When I focused on the game again, I saw that Shoes had put the ball in the back of the net and had already started celebrating,” recalls Andre Arendse, the team’s goalkeeper. — Online.
Online Reporter