Johannesburg - If John Moeti’s death on Monday is a “big loss” for South African football as per the statements released by Safa, coaches and former players alike, can you begin to imagine just how much of a loss his passing is to his family?
It is actually disingenuous of football people to spew that line, given that John’s contribution to the game had long ceased and none of them had bothered to provide him with a platform to share the “knowledge and expertise” they now would like us to believe he possessed.
No doubt John played his role in the game and we would all agree that it was a huge one, particularly at Orlando Pirates where he made a significant mark as a captain and midfield enforcer.
I was privileged to have covered the game when he played, and to say he was a pleasure to deal with would be putting it mildly. Besides being blessed with talent, John was also a pleasant man. And it was not a show.
This much I got confirmation of on a number of occasions when I engaged with him away from the game.
There was that time during his disciplinary case against Pirates when John, resplendent in formal clothes and represented by his fiery wife Motshidisi, fought for what he believed was right.
With his back to the wall, John remained his friendly self as he engaged with the media, on the periphery of the case. Tough as that fight was, not once did he say a word in anger against his employers. He remained a gentleman and respectful until the end.
Late in life when he had retired, I engaged with John when he formed the John Moeti Foundation and was struck by the genuineness of his intentions. A God-fearing man, he did not see the foundation as a means to make money as many footballers are out to but instead wanted to make a difference in young children's lives.
That was John, almost always concerned about the well-being of others sometimes before his own.
Perhaps the most profound way I got to find out about the man he really was came when I met his son Moeti – fondly known as Mo.
We were in the Cape for an event and I was in the same team with Mo for an obstacle course. For starters, he didn’t have to tell me he was John’s son because he is so much like his father.
It was his respectful demeanour and gentleness that served to confirm that the John I’d come to know was the same man at home. And like his father, Mo was fiercely competitive and very supportive of us, his teammates – encouraging when one struggled.
On Monday, Mo posted a simple Instagram story in tribute to his departed dad.
“Legends never die. My dad, my hero. My love,” it said, with a short video of John in action for Bafana Bafana and Pirates as well as a voice over of Helman Mkhalele describing his former teammate as “a silent killer”.
There was also a picture of John carrying Mo’s sibling and a young Mo himself clad in a football kit sitting just behind them. You look at that picture and you see a caring father who clearly had a huge impact on his children.
So, just as much as John was a huge influence in the game, there can be no denying that the man was influential in his own family. And it is them that we should be thinking of and perhaps praying for as they learn to deal with the loss of someone so crucial in their life.
The game had its share of John and the man served it well and whole-heartedly. But he knew when his time at the forefront of the sport was up, and he decided to take his talents and gifts elsewhere.
And for those of us who have had the pleasure to not only watch you play but also to engage you personally, thank you for the memories John.
May you rest easy, brother.
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@Tshilliboy