On 12 January 2019,legendary Bafana Bafana striker Philimon Masinga died at 49 years old in a Johannesburg hospital after a long battle with cancer. Masinga was born on 28 June 1969 in Klerksdorp, North West Province. He is well known for scoring the goal in 1997 match against Congo which secured the South Africa’s World Cup appearance in 1998.
The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Thokozile Xasa acknowledged Masinga as one among the first players to play in a major league. He was also labeled as the ambassador for the game and the country. Masinga played for Jomo Cosmos and Mamelodi Sundowns before moving overseas in 1994. He also played for international teams:Leeds United in England, St Gallen in Switzerland, Salernitana Bari in Italy and Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates. The late Masinga scored 18 goals during his 58 international appearances between 1992 and 2001. Over his entire professional career, Masinga scored 154 goals in 328 appearances. He left behind his wife, Carol, and two children.
