South African soccer captain Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed Sunday
night during a botched robbery, authorities said.
Meyiwa, who was captain of the national team
as well as his club, Orlando Pirates, was 27.
Police said he was killed by intruders who
went into a house in the Vosloorus township near Johannesburg. While they
haven't disclosed what led to the shooting, local media lit up with reports
that it may have been over a mobile phone.
The suspects fled.
"How do you kill someone for a
cellphone," his national team mate, Tsepo Masilela, tweeted.
Meyiwa began playing for the Pirates in 2005,
and made his debut with the National Team in June 2013. The goalkeeper didn't
concede a single goal in the last four games in the African Nations Cup
qualifiers.
His last match was Saturday when the Pirates
advanced to the semi-finals of the South African League Cup.
"The death of Senzo Meyiwa has robbed
this country of an icon and a legend in the making," the sports ministry
said. "Senzo died at the time when his career was reaching full maturity and
the nation and the world were still expecting a lot from him."
The ministry statement also urged police to
"leave no stone unturned in apprehending the thugs."
"Our society will never be at peace
until the suspects have been arrested and been brought under the wrath of the
country's legal system," it said.
The police offered a reward of R150,000
($13,670).
"We can assure all South Africans that
we will do all we can to bring Meyiwa's killers (to) book," the department
said.
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