Bafana Bafana defender Motjeka Madisha has been killed in a car accident on Saturday night, the second tragedy to hit South African football in a matter of weeks.
The Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back died in an accident in Kempton Park, his passing providing another hammer blow to the Masandawana players, who are still mourning the loss of former teammate Anele Ngcongca on November 23.
“RIP Motjeka Madisha, we are heart broken. The Masandawana defender passed away in a car accident in Johannesburg in the early hours of this morning. Our condolences to his family, friends and football fraternity,” the South African Football Players Union confirmed on Sunday.
Madisha, 25, is a product of the Sundowns youth academy, but actually made his professional debut while on loan at second-tier Highlands Park in the 2015/16 season.
He returned to Chloorkop the following season and became a regular in the side, making almost 130 appearances for the side.
This includes being part of the squad that lifted the 2016 CAF Champions League. He also won three league titles, the Nedbank Cup and the Telkom Knockout, and was a leading star in the club’s ‘Treble’ winning campaign in 2019-20.
He made his Bafana debut against Botswana in 2015 and features in both of their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome e Principe last month.
He won 12 caps in all, with his solitary goal coming against Botswana in the 2018 Cosafa Cup that was played in Polokwane.
Madisha was also a leading star for the South Africa Under-20 side, and also featured in the Under-23 set-up.
