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Pirates goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane has revealed he will not be
voting for Baroka FC counterpart Oscarine Masuluke to win the coveted
FIFA Puskas Award for goal of the year.
And, why should he? Mabokgwane was the one beaten when Masuluke made a last-minute foray into the Pirates box for a corner in the final minute of stoppage time last year, with the Soweto giants leading 1-0.
The Bakgaga keeper's name reverberated around the world after scoring with a bicycle-kick from the edge of the box, and his goal was one of three nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award, with the winner set to be announced on October 23.
Mabokgwane, however, did not share in the enthusiasm, telling radio station PowerFM on Wednesday he would not vote for Masuluke's goal.
"I'm a football player. I don't go around voting. I only play football. Voting is for supporters, it's for fans. People should vote for him if they like the goal," the 29-year-old said.
Mabokgwane also revealed that prior to the goal being scored, he had got wind that he would have been named the man of the match, a decision which was changed at the last minute, and went in favour of the goal-scoring Masuluke.
"Funny enough I was actually named man-of-the-match in that game, but after his goal they changed it to him," Mabokgwane told PowerFM, according to Sowetan Live.
"It was a corner-kick. I came out to punch the ball, it fell for him. I got a fingertip to it but it wasn't enough. We are happy that he's made it (to the Puskas last three).
"I even went to congratulate him after the game. I said it was a fantastic goal. It's one of those goals that you see once in a while and we wish him all the best at the awards."
Masuluke is up against Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and 18-year-old Venezuelan Deyna Castellanos, who scored from the halfway line when she was playing in the Under-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan last year.
