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Discover Pheli People , Places and Culture History

Lucas 'Masterpieces' Moripe

Moripe was probably the greatest ball
“There was something up of life under player the country has known, and during
magical Apartheid that despite the early 70s, fans called him "The god of
about Moripe,” veteran being South Africans, football". Defenders feared him, and goal

soccer journalist Phil the na onalist keepers dreaded his brilliant touches.
Nyamane once wrote. government decreed
“One instant he seems that Blacks and Whites
completely surrounded could not play sport Magical moment Caroline Hills FC in Hong
by defenders and the together, one of the It was soon a er the Kong.
next moment he major reasons why the visitors had taken a 2-0 Motaung, Moripe,
emerges out of the country was eventually lead that Moripe, who Moloi and Sugar Ray
situa on, hurtling banned by FIFA during had been growing Xulu then started
towards goal with the 1976. increasingly frustrated
about this glaring sharing the ball liberally
defenders le behind.”
And so, Allison’s team individualism, blew a in the middle and like an
Shining through the first engaged a purely fuse and in a fit of orchestra, started
days of Apartheid White SA XI and, and pique, decided to take pulling the strings. The
later a Black XI. The ma ers into his own whistling from the
He was a terror to tourists included some hands. stands raised
defenders and of the best players of “I received the ball from temperatures on a chilly
nightmare to their genera on, Motaung and suddenly I winter night.
goalkeepers. He including Allan Ball, was mad,” says the 70-
possessed such a bagful Gary Sprake, Mick year old. “I decided to Inspired by Moripe, the
of tricks that you simply Channon, Rodney go on a suicidal, mad locals staged wave a er
didn’t know what he Marsh, Francis Lee, solo-run. I think I wave of a ack and a er
would do whenever he Geoff Hurst and Johnny dribbled five, if not six conceding a penalty
was in possession … Haynes. players and which was sensa onally
blink and you would saved by Joseph ‘Banks’
miss the ac on! “The Black XI squad was “WE HAD A LOT OF Setlhodi from the boot
made up mostly of FREEDOM DURING OUR of Sprake, Motaung
At mes he seemed to players from Soweto PLAYING DAYS.” drew them level before
be waving a magic wand and I was the only could dis nctly hear they were caught on the
to put defenders to outsider from Pretoria,” team-mates shou ng break to concede a last
sleep as he weaved his he recalls. “We played for the ball. gasp goal in a
way past them. individualis c football “I shut out everything memorable 3-2 loss.
and were duly punished. and simply ignored
South Africa was, in them. I kept on running, But Moripe managed to
those days, suspended “For some stupid and deliberately refusing to carve his name in gold
by FIFA because of its selfish reasons, most of pass to anyone. I knew I le ers in the hearts of
Apartheid racial policies the players conspired would be in trouble if I millions of South
and so could not not to pass me the ball, lost the ball and would Africans that had
par cipate in even when I was in a be blamed for listened a en vely to
interna onal be er posi on. A player selfishness. But I didn’t running commentary of
compe ons. would instead seek out care!” the match on the radio
another Sowetan team- from the late Dan
However, Moripe That “suicidal” solo run
mate irrespec ve of Setshedi.
introduced himself to ended in what was to be
whether he was ghtly
the world on a cold described as one of the Sowetans displayed
marked or not, and then
winter night at Orlando their love to Moripe
pass him the ball. greatest goals ever
Stadium when he lined- when they bestowed
scored, which reduced
up for the Black XI “The only players that the deficit to 2-1. The the nickname “Soweto”
against a touring were not s ngy with the BBC graphically to the bow-legged one
Malcolm Allison’s Bri sh ball was the late Percy captured the goal on while others simply
All Stars in a ban- ‘Chippa’ Moloi and video, and it won him a declared that he was
bus ng interna onal ‘Chincha’ [Kaizer contract to play indeed Modimo wa bolo
friendly match. Motaung]. They liberally professionally for [the god of football].
and unselfishly shared
But such was the
the ball but the rest
complex and crazy set-
starved me of it.”
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Heritage & History Foundation Page 13 March 2023 Issue 1
153 - 815 NPO