Page 12 - Digital Magazine.cdr

Discover Pheli People , Places and Culture History

Lucas Moripe joy since the return to
big me soccer of his
He is one of the greatest
beloved Pretoria Callies,
players ever to feature
who won promo on to
in South African
the GladAfrica
domes c football … the
Championship at the Football poli cs and
amazing story of “I also admired Ace a
end of the ABC Motsepe poor administra on was
‘Masterpieces’. great deal,” he replies.
promo on playoffs. to result in the demise
“And I remember we
A ter having a street of Callies, a team that in
His warm hand clutched [Pretoria Callies] always
and stadium named later years would
mine and his grip was planned on how to
a er him in the produce excep onal
unusually so . neutralise him in
township of players like Peter
Recogni on dawned par cular whenever we ‘Shaluza’ Sello, Sam
A eridgeville, Lucas
and the corners of his played Kaizer Chiefs. ‘Eewie’ Kambule and
Moripe was, to those
eyes wrinkled. The
lucky enough to have gentle eyes danced and “The task of closing him Mark Anderson, to
watched him, a man down always rested on
twinkled when I greeted men on just a few.
who could engage in the ‘Malambo’ [Jan
one of the greatest
most outrageous Lechaba],” said the man But nothing has pleased
footballers this country
dribbling stunts who formed a deadly the maestro more than
has ever produced.
imaginable. In a game combina on with the when news filtered
against Orlando Pirates, A few years ago, a mild late Patrick ‘Let them through
he le their defenders stroke le legendary Dance’ Molala.
that Callies had won
sprawled all around the Moripe slightly
“No-one understood me promo on to the
pitch, then in an paralyzed but with the
arrogant act of help of physiotherapy be er than ‘Potjo’ GladAfrica
[Molala]. He almost Championship fr the
showmanship, opened he has gradually
always ins nc vely 2020-21 season.
up his jersey wide with regained the
knew what I would do
both hands, flipped the coordina on of his “It had always
next with the ball
ball in the air and movements and is no depressed me thinking
before I had even made
caught it in the apparel. longer confined to a that ‘ The Romans’ had
a pass!
The referee spoiled his wheelchair.
been confined to the
unconven onal fun by “He was an dustbin of history,” he
There is no doubt that
promptly flashing a excep onally talented said.
“Masterpieces” has
yellow card for fellow with an
contributed his fair
handball. In this incredible football Moripe joined Callies
share towards the
interview with KICK brain. He operated as a during 1971 when he
development of local
OFF’s Thomas Kwenaite, was 21 years old and
football in a career number eight in those
Moripe recalls a chilly days and I was a quickly established
winter evening at spanning almost two number 10. himself as one of the
decades. He was one of
Orlando Stadium almost deadliest and most
the first players to
48-years ago when he “At mes we confused skilful a acking
adver se South African
dribbled six visi ng opponents by opera ng midfielders of his me.
football in Asia at a time
Bri sh XI players and from the same flank.” The bow-legged
when the country was
scored a wonder goal maestro had a delicate
s ll banned by FIFA. “AT TIMES WE
that earned him a touch, some considered
contract to pursue his CONFUSED OPPONENTS him a swaggering
The late Pule “Ace”
career in Hong Kong. BY OPERATING FROM braggart but he could
Ntsoelengoe once
THE SAME FLANK.”
admi ed to have been a delicately extricate
Lucas ‘Masterpieces’
great admirer of The Romans confined in himself from a ght
Moripe sports a situa on in a blur of
Moripe. the dustbin of history
perpetual smile that
movement and tricks
lights up his cherubic
that inevitably le
features these days, a
defenders for dead.
result of unprecedented
We bring heritage , history and culture to life
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Heritage & History Foundation Page 12 March 2023 Issue 1
153 - 815 NPO