Mourning peers vow to keep Chippa’s legacy alive Sundowns pledge to educate his kids
Speakers at the secondmemorial service of Bafana Bafana legend Phil “Chippa” Masinga in Stilfontein, North West, yesterday committed to making sure his legacy lived on. Masinga, who earned respect as a footballer at home and abroad, was proclaimed as a humble man of standards and unwavering fortitude. Many speakers at the service held at Khuma Stadium said hewas the kind of person whose presence was felt even if he was not talking to you, but expressed regret that he was not properly recognised by his country.
Realising that little was done to honour and recognise this legend who secured the country a place at the 1998 World Cup with his famous goal, many speakers said they would make sure that he was recognised.
Masinga died from cancer in a Joburg hospital on January 13. His illness was also spoken of as something that could have been given urgent attention earlier.
Moving forward and accept- ing that their talk was a little too late, speakers committed to helping Masinga’s children and making sure that his legacy lived on, especially in Khuma, his home town. North West MEC for sport Sello Lehari said his departmentwas in talks to name the newly built stadium in Khuma after Masinga.
“We will see if we have enough budget so that we can also erect his statue here in Khuma,” he said. Former soccer player and a friend, Eric September, said his deathwas painful. “This is painful; we have lost a person who made it easy for every person to play soccer,” September said.
Alex “Goldfinger” Shakoane from Mamelodi Sundowns told Masinga’s wife Ntombi Nombewu that t he club would take care of his three children’s education. Masinga will be buried in Khuma tomorrow.