Mashaba, Kalusha join Bafana Bafana Legends to pray for Keshi today

Bafana-Bafana Coach, Shakes Mashaba, is among those scheduled to pay homage to fallen Nigerian footballing icon, Stephen Keshi, at a memorial service organised by his former national team colleague, Idah Peterside, today.

It is being held at the Christ Ambassadors Church in Kempton Park at 10.00 a.m.

Mashaba will be joined by Andre Arendse‚ who kept goal for South Africa’s 1996 African Nations Cup winning side‚ and Kalusha Bwalya‚ the former African Footballer of the Year, who is a member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African football.

Peterside said they were also awaiting confirmation that Mark Fish would attend.

“We want to pay tribute to a great man of football‚” he said on Friday.

“He was my senior in the national team. I played alongside him and he was a big friend‚” said the former Nigeria goalkeeper‚ who is now a pastor at the church.

“Keshi’s death was a big blow‚ not only to me but to the Nigerian nation and to Africa. He was not known as ‘Big Boss’ for nothing! He was true leader of men.”

Peterside said he had been told of a story by former Bafana striker, Mark Williams, that when he went to play in Belgium for RWD Molenbeek‚ he received a welcome call from Keshi‚ who also played for a Belgian club.

“He told Mark‚ ‘I hear you are from South Africa and therefore African and I just want to tell you to be strong and work hard and if you ever need any help give me a call’.

“That is an example of what Keshi was to so many people in football‚” said Peterside.

Keshi‚ one of only two people to win the African Nations Cup as a both a player and coach‚ died of a suspected heart attack in Benin City‚ Nigeria on June 7 aged only 54.

He is due to be buried next Friday.