Baroka goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke has received accolades from all over, including Premer Stan Mathabatha, since it became known that he was on the shortlist for a Fifa Puskás Award after his stoppage-time equaliser attained by a bicycle kick against Orlando Pirates at Peter Mokaba Stadium last year.
Dubbed a ‘wonder goal’ in soccer circles the achievement has had a ripple effect for the player who is to date the first South African soccer player and also the first from Africa to be named a finalist for the prestigious award. He is also the first goalkeeper in the history of the award to reach the top three, a position which he shares with Venezuelan u.17 Deyna Castellanos and French national Olivier Giroud currently playing for Arsenal Football Club.
In his short statement Mathabatha said there was simply no doubt that the breath-taking goal scored by Masuluke will remain unrivalled in recent football history. “This time around, the people of Limpopo and South Africans as a whole have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring the Puskás Award to South Africa. We urge all South Africans to rally behind Masuluke and vote for his spectacular goal. Let’s bring the prestigious award home to Limpopo,” Mathabatha said.
Members of the public can vote for Masuluke on the Fifa website until 23 October 2017.
Story: Herbert Rachuene
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