BBK: The South African football fraternity flag is flying at half-mast today.

It has been flapping midway up the pole since Friday, the day the heart of one of the sons of the soil stopped beating.

A car accident claimed the life of Oscar Selele Ntwagae in Germiston, closing the curtain on a colourful career which the 33-year-old defender sought to re-launch with Jomo Cosmos.

It would be green lies for this columnist to claim knowing the player well. But we didn't have to, because Oscar "Oskido" Ntwagae invited you and me into his life when he became a footballer.

A footballer of note. A defender of class. A reluctant star.

His buddy Benson Mhlongo bemoans the sudden departure of his best mate.

When Mhlongo moved from Wits to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2005, he took a liking to Ntwagae, who signed on in the same year, and the two became roommates.

Why the two hit it off is not complicated to comprehend. Both were respectable members of their communities - Ntwagae in Brakpan and Mhlongo in Alex - because soccer stardom never put chips on their shoulders.

Neither was allergic to hard work, and both were focused on their families.

The duo's little children were born while their fathers were away with Downs in South Korea five years ago.

"He has a young child, too young to understand what is happening," laments Mhlongo.

"He was a breadwinner who loved his family a lot. He would do anything for them.

"When it came to responsibilities at home, he was up to scratch. Whatever he had, however big or small, he would share it with his family."

I am confident that I am not speaking ill of the dead when I say Oskido's looks were not easy on the eye.

"We always teased him about that, but he always had a comeback. Wherever he was there would laughter," recalls Mhlongo.

Nobody ever said soccer was a beauty contest. Yet ironically in Ntwagae's case, it was his non-pretty boy appearance that earned him his big money move from Platinum Stars to Downs.

"There was this ugly boy who always kicked my players," recalled Downs president Patrice Motsepe in 2005 as he related how the leftback crossed over to Chloorkop.

"Every time my players tried to penetrate through the left channel, this ugly boy would kick the living hell out of them.

"He was not rough but was very tough. He kicked them so hard I eventually had no choice but to say to Trott [Moloto, Motsepe's advisor]: 'get me that ugly boy'."

Ntwagae killed himself laughing and pulled some funny faces as he went on stage to hug his new boss and flashed the sky is the limit sign to the gathered media.

That is the Oscar I know.

A pleasantly unassuming and honest person.

A grossly underrated and skilful player. A man among men.

Thanks for the memories Oskido.

Go give Jacob Lekgetho some stiff competition on the leftback position for the Heavenly Fast XI.

Tell Gift Leremi, Scara Ngobese, Shadrack Biemba and coach Reggie Shelembe that South African soccer is poorer without them.