Tributes pour in for Bafana legend Phil Masinga
Tributes poured in for Bafana Bafana legend Phil Masinga, who died at the age of 49 on Sunday.
The Bafana Bafana striker is fondly remembered for scoring a crucial goal that sent the team to the 1998 World Cup in France.
Masinga was admitted to the Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp in December.
The former Sundowns player was also part of the squad that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
Masinga played for European clubs such as Leeds United in England, St. Gallen in Switzerland, Bari and Salernitana in the Italian Serie A, as well as Al-Wahda in Abu Dhabi, before retiring in 2002.
His former teams and fans all took to social media to say pay tribute to the man known as ‘Chippa’.
Sad day for South African football.
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) January 13, 2019
A loyal servant of the game, on and off the field of play - SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan on passing away of @BafanaBafana legend Phil Masinga
It is with great sadness that the club has learnt of former striker Phil Masinga’s passing. The thoughts of everyone at #LUFC are with his family and friends pic.twitter.com/d0H0EO8idl
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 13, 2019
The man whose goal secured South Africa’s qualification to France 1998, the country’s first #WorldCup.
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 13, 2019
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Phil Masinga who has passed away aged 49. pic.twitter.com/VLyfNK2eSy
Awful news about the passing of #PhilMasinga. He was a brilliant player in the heydays of Bafana Bafana RIP - very unlike the crap millennials we have playing today.
— steve (@honesttruth08) January 13, 2019
RIP the legend #philmasinga thanks for the memories.
— Tongai Furusa (@tongai) January 13, 2019
Phil Masinga Goal Sends Bafana To 98 World Cup https://t.co/rhxK7R3gvg via @YouTube
Rip to phil masinga this was the last time we were truly happy as a nation ☹😣😥
— Ngiya Hlanya (@Ngiya_Hlanya) January 13, 2019
What a beautiful goal he scored #philmasinga #RIPMasinga #RIPPhilMasinga #RIPChippa pic.twitter.com/8aH3Ksv0ZO
Fortunate to be in Jo’burg when Masinga scored against Congo to take @BafanaBafana to France 98. I asked Phil afterwards if the team would celebrate with ‘a quiet drink’. No, he replied, it will be a ‘noisy drink’ and invited me to the party. Epic night. Great guy. RIP.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) January 13, 2019