Nine years later, Stellenbosch FC goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke has reflected on memories of the FIFA awards, where he sat alongside some of the great football players, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
This comes as Sunday, 30 November 2025, marked nine years since the last-minute acrobatic bicycle the goalkeeper scored for Baroka FC against Orlando Pirates.
The wonder goal came in the 96th minute to give the home side an equaliser for a league match that ended 1-1 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on 30 November 2016.
The goal gained international fame and was a finalist for the 2017 FIFA Puskás Award. Masuluke finished second in the voting, with Olivier Giroud elected the winner and Deyna Castellanos taking third place.
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“Yesterday I was showing my goalkeeper coach [Pernell McKop]. We had a conversation, and I told him that when I am here [Peter Mokaba Stadium], I can’t express the feeling, but it’s special,” Masuluke told FARPost.
During the award ceremony held in London, world superstar Cristiano Ronaldo backed Masuluke’s goal as his preferred choice for the FIFA Puskas Award.
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Masuluke, who is now with Stellenbosch, says he will forever cherish the moment in his career.
“I met a lot of people, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Buffon and even [Olivier] Giroud because I was competing with him. But it was a memorable experience for me,” he added.
“I didn’t speak to them that much, but for me, I was happy with how they spoke about the goal and everything that happened. At the end of the day, I felt much appreciated when they said the goal should win the Puskás.”
He also shared some insight into what went through his mind before he decided to join the attack.
“When you are a goalkeeper, you need to put time in your mind and count. So I told myself that this is the last corner for us, let me take the risk,” he explained.
“I am tall, and I can put the opposition under pressure. At the end of the day, I can make contact and get a goal. It was not an easy decision because the team was down. I told myself, “whatever happens will happen.”
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