The late Ayanda “Ngozi” Mabasa
By: Refilwe Sebola
Ayanda “Ngozi” Mabasa, a 25-year-old striker from KwaZulu-Natal province, who tragically passed away last week was laid to rest on Sunday morning at his home village called Ngwelezane in Empangane.
Ngozi, who had been with Happy Boys for four years, committed suicide last Tuesday evening after attending training sessions in his province.
Before his death, Ngozi and several other Happy Boys players had been expressing frustrations about facing difficulties obtaining clearances from their former club.
Some soccer fans have speculated that the club’s failure to provide clearances may have contributed to the tragic turn of events. Before his passing, Ngozi had reportedly posted a message on his WhatsApp status indicating that he was giving up.
Happy Boys Manager Eric Mabasa, deeply affected by the incident, has denied allegations that Ngozi’s suicide was linked to clearance issues. Manager Mabasa explained that Ngozi had made arrangements with the club’s General Manager, Richard Chauke, to have his clearance emailed to him.
He also mentioned that he had spoken to Ngozi on Monday, as they usually did, since Ngozi was like a brother and son to him, just like most of the players. Manager Mabasa described Ngozi as a humble and disciplined young man who showed respect to everyone.
Mabasa extended condolences to Ngozi’s family and friends.