The late, talented young Alexandra soccer star, Kabelo ‘KB’ Masalesa, was given a hero’s send-off by the Palestinians and their President Mahmoud Abbas.
Popularly known in Alex football circles and his Black Poison club as KB after his name, Kabelo, was an U13 player and midfield maestro who was on a soccer development trip to Palestine together with five of his colleagues from other clubs in the township.
He sadly passed away in a drowning incident on July 17 in Palestine and was accorded a rare hero’s send-off which was amplified by the presence of President Abbas along with a military guard of honour when his remains were repatriated back home to South Africa.
According to the head of delegation from Alexandra and secretary general of the Alex Northrand LFA Malvin Khumalo, who had remained behind in Palestine when the rest of the players returned home, the Palestinian government led by Abbas and its football association all came on board to offer their condolences and respect to the late, young soccer star.
A military send-off, which is the highest honour not usually, offered to civilians in the country, was accorded to this young football soldier who still had many years ahead of him to amaze fans with his football prowess, Khumalo said.
“There was even a guard of honour as the Palestinian government recognised Kabelo as a football martyr that had lost his life in the fight for Palestinian freedom.
Photo: Supplied
“He [KB] is in the same bracket as we would view Hector Peterson if we are to put it in the South African context. Hence they rallied behind sympathy, sadness and shared the pain we all felt,” Khumalo said in an interview with Alex News.
The Alex youngsters were selected from a Free Palestine Solidarity Football Tournament that was held in Alexandra early this year by the Embassy of the State of Palestine and involved U13 teams from the township from which the six were selected to join 14 of their compatriots from Cape Town on the trip.
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