Baroka goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke’s spectacular overhead kick against Orlando Pirates could earn him the prestigious FIFA Puskas Award after the South African was listed among the finalists for this year’s award.
On November 30, 2016, with Baroka FC down by a goal to nil, the shot-stopper came off his goalpost during stoppage-time in search for an equalizer and was fortunate to rescue his team after his stunning overhead kick into the top right corner of Orlando Pirates’ goalpost.
The 24-year-old South African goalkeeper is in contention for the award along with Venezuela women’s U-17 striker Deyna Castellanos, and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.
Masuluke has already set a record of becoming the first African player to be shortlisted as one the finalists and further hopes to achieve a milestone in his career by becoming the first goalkeeper and first African to win the prestigious FIFA award since its establishment in 2009.
Deyna Castellanos became one of the nominees for the award after scoring from the halfway line also in stoppage-time against Cameroon in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on October 3, 2016, in Jordan. The crucial goal came few minutes after Cameroon got the equalizer, with Castellanos’ halfway line goal secured all the three points for Venezuela.
Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud scorpion’s kick goal against Crystal Palace completes the list of the final three nominees for this year’s award. The France forward scored with an unusual scorpion kick after teammate Alexis Sanchez sent in a cross that was acrobatically hit by the French striker onto the crossbar before ending up across the goal line.
Ten (10) African players have so far been nominated for the award since 2009, but the South African goalkeeper is the first African to be among the finalists.
The award was established on 20 October 2009 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), at the request of then-president Sepp Blatter, in order to award the player, male or female, judged to have scored the most significant, or “most beautiful” goal of the year.
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