John Moshoeu

John Lesiba Moshoeu (18 December 1965 – 21 April 2015) was a South African football midfielder who most notably played for Kaizer Chiefs and the South African national team. John Moshoeu, affectionately known as "Shoes," was a key midfielder for South Africa. Renowned for his exceptional vision and ball control, Moshoeu played a crucial role in orchestrating the team's attacks, contributing significantly to Bafana Bafana's spirited campaign. He demonstrated his leadership and endurance, showcasing his strategic prowess and composure under pressure. Moshoeu's elegance on the ball and creative playmaking left an indelible mark on fans and pundits alike. His ability to read the game and connect the midfield with the forwards made him a pivotal figure in South Africa's squad during his time. Highly regarded as one of the greatest South Africa's midfielders of the game.

Club career
John Mosheu began his career with South Africa's Geant Blackpool. He helped Blackpool reach the Cup final in 1991, where they lost to Dynamo at Ellis Park. In total, he spent 5 years of his career at the club and scored 75 goals in 175 matches. Later, he was invited to one of the strongest clubs in South Africa, Kaizer Chiefs. A good performance made it possible to draw attention to it in Europe.

In the 1993–94 season, he played for Turkish side Gençlerbirliği before moving to another local club, Kocaelispor, with whom he won the Turkish Cup in 1997. Soon after the triumphant victory, at the beginning of 1998, the African was purchased for $ 2 million by one of the Turkish giants, Fenerbahce. Moshoeu played for the Istanbul team for three years of his playing career. Most of the time spent in Fenerbahçe, he was the main player of the team, playing under the guidance of such famous coaches as Joachim Löw and Zdenek Zeman.

Having lost in the 2000/01 championship season to Hans Samuel Johnson, before the end of the season, Mosheu moved to Bursaspor at the beginning of 2001. He played in the club for a year and a half.

At the age of 37, John returned to his homeland in South Africa, where he again began to play for the Kaizer Chiefs, with whom he won the national championship twice and the South African Cup and the League Cup twice, after which he began to play for AmaZulu in 2006, where he played until 2008, when the player was already at the age of 42. Playing for this club, Mosheu set a record by becoming the oldest goalscorer in the South African top flight when he scored a goal in a game against Kaizer Chiefs in 2007 at the age of 41 years, 11 months and 17 days.

International career
On 10 January 1993, he made his debut in official games as part of the South African national team in a friendly match against Botswana and immediately scored a goal.

He became an important part of the team that won the 1996 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, becoming the tournament's second-highest scorer with four goals. The title of continental champion allowed the team to go to the first draw for their national team of the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup in Saudi Arabia, but there the team took the last place in the group.

The following year, he first went with the team to the 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso, where he won silver with the team, and then to the 1998 World Cup in France, which was the first World Cup for the South African team.

Subsequently, as part of the national team, he participated in the 2000 African Cup of Nations in Ghana and Nigeria, where the team won bronze medals, as well as the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. It was at this tournament on March 31, 2004, after playing in a group stage game against Nigeria (0:4), that he played his last match at the age of 38 years, one month and 13 days, becoming the oldest player in the history of his national team. In total, during his career in the national team, which lasted 12 years, he spent 73 matches in the uniform of the main team of the country, scoring 8 goals.

Later life and death
Moshoeu's family history is traced back to Alexandra where his mother Reena Moshoeu resided. Moshoeu was a car enthusiast. Between 1985 and 2003, Moshoeu owned nine cars. His first was a Toyota Corolla 1.6 while during his time at Chiefs he owned a silver Porsche Boxster and a red Mini Cooper S. Moshoeu never got married and he is the father of four children, two boys, two girls.

Moshoeu died on 21 April 2015 at the Morningside Hospital after a long battle with stomach cancer. Moshoeu was also admitted to the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital before his death.

Moshoeu's funeral service was held at the Grace Bible Church in Soweto and was buried at Westpark Cemetery in Randburg on 27 April 2015.

Honours
Club
TSYD Ankara Cup: 1992–93, 1993–94
Turkish Cup: 1996–97
Premier Cup: 1997–98
Ataturk Cup: 1997–98
South African Premiership: 2003–04, 2004–05
South African Cup: 2006
South African League Cup: 2004

International
African Cup of Nations: 1996
African Cup of Nations: 1998: Runner-up
African Cup of Nations: 2000: Third Place

References

Other websites

Category:1965 births
Category:2015 deaths
Category:South African soccer players
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players
Category:Deaths from stomach cancer