Results reveal how close Masuluke came to beating Arsenal's Giroud

25 October 2017 - 10:25 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Sports and Recreation Ministry director of communications Mickey Modisane (L), Baroka FC goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke (C) and the club's CEO Morgan Mammila at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday 25 October 2017.
Sports and Recreation Ministry director of communications Mickey Modisane (L), Baroka FC goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke (C) and the club's CEO Morgan Mammila at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday 25 October 2017.
Image: Marc Strydom

Baroka FC goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke will look back and wonder what might have been after the South African Football Association (Safa) revealed the voting for the Fifa Puskas awards.

Masuluke missed out on the award for best goal of the year to Arsenal and French forward Olivier Giroud by a close margin at the star-studded awards ceremony held in London on Monday night.

Giroud scooped the award with 36.17% of the votes followed closely by Masuluke on 27.48%.

Deyna Castellanos from Venezuela got 20.47%.

Masuluke made it to the last round of the voting after the sensational overhead kick goal he scored in the dying minutes of a league match against Orlando Pirates in Polokwane last year. The now famous goal earned Baroka a share of the spoils.

In the build-up to the awards last week‚ Jamaican and Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt gave Masuluke’s goal the thumbs up and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane also weighed in‚ endorsing the strike before the announcement was made.

Safa president Danny Jordaan congratulated the lanky Masuluke‚ who rubbed shoulders with some of the superstars of the game in London‚ for flying the South African and African flags high on the international stage.

“Well done to Oscarine for flying the South African and Africa’s flag high.

"In spite of the outcome‚ you have done the continent proud by making it into the top three of such a top award.

"We are really proud of you‚” Jordaan said.

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