South African international defender Motjeka Madisha died on Sunday 13 December in a car accident in Johannesburg at the age of just 25.
For the second time in less than a month, South African football is in mourning. 20 days after Anele Ngcongca, another “Bafana Bafana” died in a car accident on Sunday 13 December, east of Johannesburg. Motjeka Madisha, central defender of Mamelodi Sundowns FC, was only 25 years old.
He was a rising star with a good attitude,” says coach Molefi Ntseki on the official website of the South African Federation. It is so devastating for such a promising player to lose his life in this way. No one will be more professional than the late Madisha. He was always smiling, humble and was the first to arrive on the training pitch, which explains his status as a rising star”.
A player of the future who was starting to make his mark in the national team. For his first cap, he was even promoted to the starting line-up against Angola in a friendly in March 2018 (2-1). He was then one of the regulars of the South African B team that took part in the Cosafa Cup the same year, with a fifth place at the end of the competition. This was followed by another friendly against Paraguay in November 2018 (1-1).
Madisha was not one of the 23 players selected for the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, but the defender was back in the squad this year for the two friendly matches in October, and then the two matches counting towards the qualifiers for the next CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
With his club Mamelodi Sundowns FC, he was an undisputed starter. Madisha has played an active role in the last three South African championship titles of the “Brazilians”.