MOGAMAD ALLIE: Budding Bafana star and 1996 hero left their mark

The past few days have been traumatic for SA football after the loss of two national team players, one who enjoyed a successful career and the other a promising defender who was on the cusp of developing into a star his rural community was already proud of.

Occurring as they did under vastly different circumstances, the deaths on Saturday and Monday of Oshwin Andries and John Moeti shook football followers in this country. 

Andries, a talented defender also comfortable in midfield, captained the national under-20 team and was elevated to the under-23 side. He died from complications related to stab wounds sustained in an altercation last week. Ossie, as he was known to his family and friends, died a tragic and needless death that unfortunately has become so common in SA that it’s almost now accepted as part of our daily existence.     

That shouldn’t be. SA’s crime rate has over the past few decades gained worldwide notoriety, now we’re fast moving into the arena of rabid lawlessness that permeates virtually every sector of our society.

Coming from what is essentially a farming area like Klapmuts, situated between Stellenbosch and Paarl, Andries’s potential was recognised and nurtured by Stellenbosch FC, a club that is doing superb work in developing raw talent from the winelands region.

After progressing through the Stellies development ranks, his impressive performances for the Diski Challenge side won him promotion to the senior team last season. He made his debut as an 18-year-old coming on as a late substitute against Baroka and then also came on late in the game against Kaizer Chiefs four months later. 

This season he made eight appearances, including five starts, the last of which was in the epic 3-2 victory over neighbours Cape Town City on January 27 when Stellies overturned a 2-0 deficit to end a nine-game winless run in spectacular style.

Last July, Andries showed his star quality by netting a screamer in his team’s 7-2 victory over the Leicester City Academy side in the Premier League’s Next Generation Cup which Stellies clinched against all expectations. 

National under-23 coach David Notoane had already earmarked the 19-year-old to be part of the squad to face Congo in next month’s final qualifier for the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, with the possibility of qualifying for next year’s Olympics as the big prize.

It is tragic to see a life that contained so much hope and possibility, not only for Andries but also for his family and community, being cut short in the way it was.

In John Moeti, SA lost not only a top former midfielder but also a wonderful human being who was prepared to swim against the tide in his quest to speak up for the voiceless and for those he felt needed help.

It was as a tigerish and visionary midfielder that Dungi, as he was fondly known, made his mark. Just two months after helping Orlando Pirates to lift the African Champions Cup against Asec Abidjan, he picked up another continental accolade as part of Clive Barker’s side that won the Africa Cup of Nations at FNB Stadium in February 1996.

Moeti was unfortunate to miss out on the 1998 World Cup after being ruled out by an ankle injury, but at club level he was one of an elite band of players who won every piece of domestic silverware on offer.

It was his determination to stand up for the rights of others that resulted in his suspension and eventual departure from Pirates to SuperSport United in 2000. As he said at the time, he was seen as a rebel who rocked the boat.

His calm and gentle demeanour belied Moeti’s determination to fight for the rights of others. Always ready to offer his considered and respected opinion whenever I called him, Moeti served as vice-president of the SA Football Players Association (Safpu) at the turn of the century.

Once his playing days ended, he gave expression to his concerns about young footballers empowering themselves by always being ready to advise and uplift Safpu members. He was particularly concerned about players under the age of 18 being exploited by unscrupulous agents and selfish club owners.

A man of deep faith, Moeti established the religion-based Truth Foundation with his wife, using football to teach young children leadership and life skills.

It was his passion for education and self-fulfilment that drove Moeti to complete a course in sports administration at Boston College where the areas of learning included sports sociology, sport event management, and marketing and sponsorship. Others who completed the same course include Pitso Mosimane, former SuperSport United defender Ricardo Katza and former Moroka Swallows captain Lefa Tsutsulupa. 

As a member of Safpu, Moeti sat on the sports, recreation & fitness chamber committee of the department of labour’s Tourism, Hospitality and Sport, Education and Training Authority (Theta), alongside the likes of former Blitzboks coach Paul Treu, Safa president Danny Jordaan and Sascoc’s Sam Ramsamy. 

Moeti is the fourth member of Barker’s victorious squad of 1996 who has died. Already gone are Phil Masinga, Shoes Mosheou and Sizwe Motaung.

Heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Oshwin Andries and John Moeti. They have made their mark on SA society and will be sorely missed.