Senzo Meyiwa facts for kids
Meyiwa with South Africa in 2014
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Senzo Robert Meyiwa | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Durban, South Africa | ||
| Date of death | 26 October 2014 (aged 30) | ||
| Place of death | Vosloorus, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| London Cosmos (South Africa) | |||
| 2002–2005 | Orlando Pirates | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2014 | Orlando Pirates | 109 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2013–2014 | South Africa | 7 | (0) |
|
|||
Senzo Robert Meyiwa (born 24 January 1984 – died 26 October 2014) was a famous South African footballer. He played as a goalkeeper and was also a captain. Senzo played for the Orlando Pirates team in the Premier Soccer League. He also played for the South Africa national team. Sadly, he was shot and killed during a home invasion on 26 October 2014.
Contents
Club Career: Orlando Pirates
Senzo Meyiwa joined Orlando Pirates as a goalkeeper in 2005. At first, he was a reserve player, meaning he was on the bench. His first game for Pirates was on 8 November 2006. They won the match 2–1 against AmaZulu.
Becoming a Top Goalkeeper
In 2008, another goalkeeper, Moeneeb Josephs, joined Pirates. Senzo was still a reserve player. But in 2012, the team's coach, Augusto Palacios, started giving Senzo more chances to play. Later, coach Roger De Sa also gave Senzo a chance when Josephs was injured.
Senzo showed everyone how talented he was. He even got picked to play for the South Africa national team, also known as Bafana Bafana. This was for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Saving Penalties
Senzo was very good at saving penalties. In the Champions League in 2013, he saved two penalties against TP Mazembe. These saves helped Pirates win the game overall. He also saved a penalty against Al Ahly in Egypt, which helped Pirates win 3–0.
Senzo helped Orlando Pirates reach the final of the 2013 CAF Champions League. They finished as runners-up in that competition. His last game was on 25 October 2014. It was a 4–1 victory against Ajax Cape Town F.C. in the Telkom Knockout Quarter-final. He passed away the very next day.
Captain of the Team
Towards the end of his life, Senzo Meyiwa became the captain for Orlando Pirates. This happened when the regular captain, Lucky Lekgwathi, was not playing. He was also made captain of the Bafana Bafana national team by coach Shakes Mashaba. This was for his last four games in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
International Career
Senzo Meyiwa played his first game for South Africa on 2 June 2013. This was an away game against Lesotho, which South Africa won 2–0. He was part of the team for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, but he did not play in any matches.
He played four times in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification games. His very last international match was a 0–0 draw against Congo on 15 October 2014.
Captain and Clean Sheets
Senzo was the captain in his last four games for the national team. He joined two other goalkeepers, Brian Baloyi and Moeneeb Josephs, in a special group. They are the only goalkeepers who captained Bafana Bafana four times without letting in any goals. Each of them had two draws and two wins as captain.
Overall, Senzo played seven international games for South Africa. He managed to keep the opposing team from scoring in six of those games. This is called a clean sheet.
His Passing Away
On 26 October 2014, Senzo Meyiwa was tragically shot and killed. This happened during a robbery at his girlfriend's house in Vosloorus. He was taken to the hospital in Johannesburg but was pronounced dead when he arrived.
His death caused a lot of sadness and anger across South Africa. People were very upset about the high crime rates in the country.
Tributes and Mourning
As a sign of respect, a big football match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs was postponed. This match is known as the Soweto derby.
Many important people shared their sadness. President Jacob Zuma mourned Senzo's loss and asked for his killers to be found. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter called his death a "senseless, tragic loss." Even Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas posted a picture of Senzo holding his Real Madrid jersey.
Funeral and Legacy
Senzo Meyiwa was given a state funeral on 1 November in Durban. The funeral took place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Many fans, friends, football players, and politicians attended to pay their respects. He was laid to rest in Chesterville, KwaZulu-Natal.
In October 2020, five men were charged with his murder. They have said they were not involved in the killing. A 5-episode documentary series about his story, called Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star, was released on Netflix in 2022.
Honors and Achievements
Senzo Meyiwa achieved many great things during his career with Orlando Pirates:
- Premier Soccer League: He helped his team win the league in the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons.
- Nedbank Cup: His team won this cup in 2010–11 and 2013–14.
- MTN 8: They won this cup in 2010 and 2011.
- Telkom Knockout: They also won this cup in 2011.
- CAF Champions League runner-up: His team reached the final of this big African competition in 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Senzo Meyiwa para niños
