Bring it home, Oscarine

Johannesburg - And the winner is ...

South Africans have a last chance to make sure Oscarine Masuluke wins the Fifa Puskas Award on Monday. 

The voting will close during the ceremony.

Masuluke is bidding to become the first African to win the prize. He will rub shoulders with the best in the football world as other awards will also be presented.

Whole continent

While the 24-year-old will go up against Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud of France and Venezuelan women’s soccer player Deyna Castellanos, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be vying to collect the best player award.

The Portugal captain is favourite to walk away with the prize after helping Real Madrid defend the Uefa Champions League and to win the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan in December last year.

Ronaldo is once again up against his two rivals, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

But South Africans and the whole continent will be rooting for Masuluke.

The Baroka goalkeeper netted a spectacular stoppage time overhead kick goal against Orlando Pirates in an Absa Premiership clash last year. Masuluke’s wonder goal has already got the backing of Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt who told Fifa.com he would pick it for the winner.

“I’d vote for Oscarine Masuluke. For a goalkeeper to score an overhead kick in stoppage time like that is impressive,” he said.

Pretty unique

Former Nigeria Super Eagles star Augustine Jay-Jay Okocha and former Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo have waxed lyrical about the wonder strike.

Said Okocha: “My vote goes to the goalkeeper because it’s so rare to see something like that. Goals by goalkeepers are already very unusual and last-minute bicycle kicks are too special. I think it really was something very special".

Di Matteo enjoyed the celebration that followed the goal.

“I really liked the strike by the goalkeeper and the celebrations afterwards were pretty unique too".

Masuluke will be relying on the entire continent to vote for him and make sure he puts Africa on the world map.

To vote, go to fifa.com