South African goalkeeper stuns football world with 96th minute overhead kick
It's a contender for goal of the season
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Your support makes all the difference.Oscarine Masuluke is a name that would be unfamiliar even to close followers of South African football.
But expect to hear it a lot more today - and possibly in the context of next year’s Puskas award - after the Baroka FC goalkeeper’s stunning goal in the 96th minute on Wednesday night.
Baroka, a bottom-half team in South Africa’s Premier Division, were playing at home to relative giants Orlando Pirates and losing 1-0 with all five minutes of added time played.
But when the referee decided to allow a corner, surely the last kick of the game, 23-year-old Masuluke was sent forward to try and make something happen.
And wow, did he deliver.
Speaking after the game, Masuluke revealed that he played as a striker up until the age of 16, but that it was nonetheless “the most memorable goal in my whole career”, according to kickoff.com.
"I am still shocked,” he said. “When woke up this morning was still surprised.
"I still don’t believe it. It's not something that I practise. It's just [a] decision I took at that moment. Fortunately it worked so well. I am still excited and can't believe it. I feel great."
Needless to say, the goal has been one of the most talked-about subjects on South African social media since clips started to go viral late last night.
But it is not the first time this week that the bizarre world of South African football has made international headlines.
On Tuesday night, infamously strict top flight referee Victor Gomes sent off a ball boy in the match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City, after the youngster threw a second ball onto the pitch while the first was still in play. Pundits described it as a possible world first.
Masuluke’s goal couldn’t be described in those terms - it was arguably an easier technique than the full-volley overhead kick scored by ‘keeper Tolo Barceló for Alcudia Mallorca B back in 2013.
And goalkeepers have scored more bizarre goals in the past - such as when Asmir Begovic netted almost from his own 6-yard box against Southampton in 2013, or Paul Robinson’s direct free kick from 80 yards in 2007.
Peter Schmeichel was arguably the master of the art of coming up from the back for corners, scoring 11 times in his career including this powerful volley against Everton in 2001.
But Rogerio Ceni will go down in history as the greatest goalscoring ‘keeper of all time. The Brazilian scored 131 goals in all competitions, all of them penalties or free kicks - which he was very, very good at.
Just look at that curl.
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