Free State Stars soccer players pledged to play all their remaining games for the season in honour of the late Sinethemba Jantjie.
The soccer fraternity came out in force for Jantjie’s funeral at Oxton Village in Whittlesea on Saturday.
Free State Stars captain Paulus Masehe said Jantjie had been a player to whom the game came naturally.
“His personality was amazing and everyone loved him. He was vibrant, full of life, an amazing person full of jokes,” he said.
Jantjie died in a car accident in Bethlehem in Free State on April 1.
He made his debut in the 2016-17 season for Ea Lla Koto (the Free State Stars nickname), after arriving from Mbombela United in the National First Division (NFD).
Ea Lla Koto players and supporters gathered at Jantjie’s home, where the funeral was held, and sang songs in honour of their teammate.
Joyce Mokoena, the mother of FFS manager Rantsi Mokoena, said whenever the Stars played in the future, Jantjie would be the 12th player on the pitch.
“The spirit of Jantjie is with the team and we will avoid relegation,” she said.
Rantsi Mokoena apologised for his father Mike Mokoena’s absence on health grounds.
He read messages of condolence from Safa Free State and other PSL teams including Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Safa Chris Hani region president Sandile Mata, who was Jantjie’s manager at Angavu Stars in the ABC Motsepe League, said the goals Jantjie scored in his last few games were his way of saying goodbye to his team.
“While playing for Angavu Stars, he was influential in the team that won the ABC Motsepe league in 2013-14. He played for Mbombela United when we played the national playoffs in Durban the same year,” he said.
Mata said said Free State Stars should honour Jantjie by identifying talent from the Chris Hani region.
Jantjie’s cousin, Vuyokazi Jikijela, said the family was hurting but they were happy that there had been a celebrity among their ranks.
Jantjie’s former teammate at Masiphumelele Football Club in Cape Town, Sakhi Booi said Jantjie had represented not only the Eastern Cape but Cape Town as well.
“We are thankful for the opportunity given to Jantjie by Stars. We will always support Stars for the opportunity they gave one of our own. Every time they play in Cape Town we will go and support them.”
He said black players were often overlooked by PSL teams in Cape Town but Jantjie had given black players exposure.
Eastern Cape MPL Nonkosi Mvana said: “He put this province on the map. There is more talent in the province and it needed Free State Stars to unearth it.”
Neighbour Simphiwe Dywili said Jantjie had joined the likes of Bulelani Matros and become the second player from the Chris Hani region to play for a PSL team.
“Coming from a rural village and growing up without his parents, who died early in his life, Jantjie managed to turn that around and become a star.”..