Mondli Cele (19 March 1989 – 17 January 2016) was a South African association football midfielder. He played his career only in South Africa, and died in a car accident near Pietermaritzburg.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mondli Cele | ||
| Date of birth | 19 March 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Durban, South Africa | ||
| Date of death | 17 January 2016 (aged 26) | ||
| Place of death | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Gamalakhe United | ||
| 2014–2016 | Maritzburg United | 37 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editGamalakhe United
editBorn in Durban, South Africa, Cele joined Port Shepstone-based second division club Gamalakhe United in 2012.[1]
Maritzburg United
editCele caught the eye of Maritzburg United coach, Steve Komphela, after impressing in a Nedbank Cup match against Engen Santos.[2] In August 2014, he joined Maritzburg United.[3]
International career
editCele was included in the preliminary South Africa squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, but did not make the final 23.[4][5] Maritzburg United captain Ashley Hartog said Cele's call-up, along with Kwanda Mngonyama, inspired their teammates.[6]
Death
editCele died on Sunday, 17 January 2016, when a car he was in plunged into the Msunduzi River near Pietermaritzburg.[7] He had scored for Maritzburg United during their match against Orlando Pirates earlier on that day.[8] After his death, tributes to him were paid, including Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula saying it should serve as a reminder to fight road carnage in South Africa,[9] the Premier Soccer League observing a moment of silence at all the Sunday's matches,[10] Ghanaian former international player John Paintsil,[11] and Kurt Lentjies revealing that Maritzburg United had dedicated their 2015–16 Premier Soccer League season to him.[12]
References
edit- ^ Lewis, Marc (17 January 2016). "Maritzburg United to visit Mondli Cele's family". Eyewitness News.
- ^ "Mondli Cele on Bafana Bafana call up". Kick Off. 19 December 2014.
- ^ "Maritzburg Sign Tsepo Moloto, Six Others". Soccer Laduma. 8 August 2014.
- ^ Cooper, Ryan (18 December 2014). "Analysing Shakes Mashaba's Bafana squad". Kick Off.
- ^ "South African star Cele dies as car plunges into river". The Express Tribune. 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Maritzburg United buoyed by Bafana Afcon call-ups for Mngonyama and Cele". Kick Off. 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Breaking News: Maritzburg United's Mondli Cele dies in car accident". Maritzburg Sun. 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Maritzburg United player Mondli Cele killed in a car accident". The Times. 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Maritzburg Uniteds Mondli Cele passes away". Eyewitness News. 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Maritzburg Utd player dies in car crash". SuperSport. 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Cele never forgot where he came from: John Pantsil". SABC News. 23 January 2016. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "Lentjies Dedicates PSL Survival To Mondli Cele". Soccer Laduma. 31 May 2016.
External links
edit- Mondli Cele at Soccerway