MarcJWallace

Motjeka Madisha, defender for South African sides M Tigers, Highlands Park and most recently the decorated Mamelodi Sundowns, has tragically been killed in a car accident aged 25. Madisha also had 13 caps and one goal for South Africa between 2015 and 2020. https://briefly.co.za/90701-mojeka-madisha-passes-hours-sundowns-celebrate-anniversary.html

Paolo Rossi, 1982 hero for Italy, dead according to national broadcaster RAI. https://twitter.com/footballitalia/status/1336828963772100609?s=21

Mohamed Abarhoun, a member of Morocco's 2012 Olympic squad, has died of stomach cancer aged 31. The defender, who earned 7 caps for the Moroccan national side in 2013 and 2014, played domestically for Moghreb Tetouan before moving to Portugal to play for Moreirense and spent the 2019-2020 season at Caykur Rizespor in Turkey. He fell ill in February of this year and was released by Rizespor at the end of the season, although the club supported him financially throughout despite his leaving the club. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/12/327619/moroccan-football-player-mohamed-abarhoun-dies-from-cancer-at-31/

One of the best ever behind the scenes. Very sad news.

Report [in French] that the former Senegal international Papa Bouba Diop (42) died of the disease, he also had Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/L-ancien-international-senegalais-papa-bouba-diop-est-mort-a-42-ans/1200094

Papa Bouba Diop, scorer of one of the most sensational goals in World Cup history for Senegal against France in 2002 has passed away.

Legendary Senegalese player Papa Bouba Diop has died per African Football account Sandals for Goalposts.

Dimitar Largov, part of the Bulgaria squad at the 1966 tournament, as well as the Olympic team in 1960, has died aged 84. https://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=874756 A midfielder, he made 24 appearances for the national side, scoring three goals. At club level, he played at Septemvri Sofia for one season before moving on to Slavia Sofia, where he made 220 appearances and scored 28 goals.

https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/manly-sea-eagles-player-keith-titmuss-dies-aged-20-after-training-session-c-1635809 Manly Sea Eagles' Keith Titmuss dies after taking ill at training aged just 20.

Anele Ngcongca, who played for South Africa at the 2010 tournament, has died in a car accident aged just 33. The only action at the tournament for him was 59 minutes in the 2-1 victory they had over that abject French side, but what a moment. https://www.enca.com/sport/anele-ngcongca-33-dies

Anele Ngcongca, a South African international with 53 caps accumulated between 2009 and 2016, has tragically been killed in a car accident in Cape Town. https://www.enca.com/sport/anele-ngcongca-33-dies The 33-year-old defensive midfielder had played in Europe for Belgian sides Roeselare and Genk, in France for Troyes and in his homeland for Fortune FC, Mamelodi Sundowns and, finally, AmaZulu where he had just joined on loan before his tragic death. He was a member of the South Africa squad at the 2010 World Cup - playing 59 minutes of their 2-1 win over France. He also featured in the Bafana Bafana squads for the subsequent 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he played in all three group matches but missed the quarter-final loss on penalties to Mali and the 2015 Cup of Nations where he played in all three group matches as they went out bottom of that particular group.

Le Pen.

Gilberto Penayo, part of Paraguay's team for the 1958 tournament, has died aged 87. Unclear on his total number of caps and goals, but it does say he made several appearances and was also part of the Paraguay team who came third in the Copa America the year after the aforementioned World Cup appearance. https://www.hoy.com.py/deportes/fallece-gilberto-penayo-otrora-goleador-de-cerro-porteno

Ângelo Martins, a centre half for the great Benfica side which won the European Cup in 1961 and then retained it the following year, has died aged 90. Known more commonly by his first name, Ângelo spent the entirety of his professional career with Benfica between 1952 and 1965 - amassing 231 appearances and scoring 3 goals while also collecting twenty caps for the Portuguese national side between 1953 and 1962. The central defender collected seven Portuguese titles, five Portuguese Cups and two European Cups with Benfica. His death means that there are now just four survivors of Bela Guttmann's great double European Cup-winning Benfica side, defenders Mário João and Fernando Cruz, as well as winger José Augusto, who played in both finals while another winger, António Simões, only played in the 1962 triumph. Of that 1961 final, there are still three survivors from the defeated Barcelona side, defender Martí Verges (86), Brazilian forward Evaristo (87) and Luis Suárez (85). Perhaps [un]surprisingly, many of the Real Madrid side that lost in 1962 are still alive. Goalkeeper José Araquistáin, defenders Pedro Casado (82), José Santamaría (91) and Vicente Miera (80), midfielders Rafael Batista Hernandez, known as Felo (83) and Pachín (81) and forwards Justo Tejada (87), Luis del Sol (85) and the legendary Paco Gento (86). The only ones from that side who have died are arguably the two biggest names, Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano. https://www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/agora/noticias/2020/10/11/clube-benfica-nota-de-condolencias-homenagem-e-eterna-saudade-angelo-martins

Olegs Karavajevs, Latvia's most-capped goalkeeper during the 1990s, has died aged 59. A bit of a football nomad to put it politely, he began his career in Kyrgyzstan in 1979 with Alga Frunze before moving to Uzbek powerhouses Pakhtakor Tashkent, returning briefly to Alga before his career took him to Kazakhstan with Kairat Almaty, SKA Khabarovsk in Russia, Daugava Riga in his homeland, back to Russia with Fakel Voronezh and then to OFK Belgrade in Yugoslavia. [Now Serbia] He returned to Latvia to play for Olimpija Riga in 1993 before moving on again to Cyprus where he turned out for Evagoras Paphos and then again to Germany where he played for Carl-Zeiss Jena and FSV Zwickau, he wrapped up his career in his homeland firstly with the dominant Latvian side of the time - Skonto Riga before completing one final move to FK Riga in 1999. https://rus.tvnet.lv/7079485/umer-byvshiy-vratar-sbornoy-latvii-po-futbolu In total, he played 38 matches for the Latvian national team between 1992 and 1999.

Afghanistan batsman Najeeb Tarakai has died in a road traffic accident aged just 29. https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/news/afghanistan-batsman-najeeb-tarakai-killed-in-road-accident-board-mourns-death-2936741.html

Peter Sutcliffe, got to bring up the morale after shite year to date.

Ephrem M'Bom, a member of Cameroon's 1982 World Cup squad, has died aged 66. Though his Wikipedia claims "several" appearances for the Indomitable Lions, there are only seven listed on his profile - and that he was also in the squad for the Cup of Nations in 1982. https://www.kick442.com/mbom-ephrem-dies-at-66

Deid.

Reg Harrison, the last survivor from Derby County's 1946 FA Cup-winning side, has died aged 97. A right-winger, he played as an outside right in final in 1946, playing on the same flank as the legendary Raich Carter He made 254 appearances for the Rams in total and scored 52 goals between 1944 and 1955. He also turned out as a wartime guest player for Sheffield United, Notts County, Charlton Athletic and Hartlepools United. https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/legend-fans-pay-tribute-derby-4527435

Ronald "Khalis" Bell of Kool and the Gang, writer of some of their greatest hits such as Ladies Night and Celebration - dead aged 68. https://variety.com/2020/music/obituaries-people-news/kool-and-the-gang-ronald-khalis-bell-dies-dead-1234764420/

Tam Forsyth, nicknamed Jaws by fans of Rangers where he had a glittering career after joining from Motherwell, has died aged 71. He was a part of the 1978 World Cup squad who travelled to Argentina. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/12049624/tom-forsyth-former-motherwell-rangers-and-scotland-defender-dies-aged-71

Vladica Popovic, who played at the 1958 and 1962 World Cups for Yugoslavia has died in Belgrade aged 85. https://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/futbol-internacional/perfil-de-vladimir-popovic-tecnico-yugoeslavio-fallecido-527900 As a player, he collected several league titles, all with Red Star Belgrade. He began his managerial career in Venezuela before moving on through to Colombia and eventually to Peru's national team. That came after he led Red Star to a double of the Intercontinental Cup and the Yugoslav league after he succeeded Ljupko Petrovic who had led Red Star to the European Cup in 1991.

Gabriel Ochoa Uribe, the most successful coach in Colombian football history, has died aged 90. A goalkeeper, he began his career with America de Cali, one of the biggest Colombian clubs in 1946 before moving three years later to Millonarios where he played alongside Alfredo di Stefano. A brief sojourn to Brazil followed in 1955-56 where he played for America in Rio before returning to end his career at Millonarios where he eventually became manager in 1958. In total, he won four Colombian titles and a Colombian Cup with Millonarios as a player. As a coach, he won fourteen titles between three sides. Six with Millionarios in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1972 One with Santa Fe in 1966 And seven with America de Cali in 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1990 He also managed Colombia on two occasions, at the 1963 Copa América and for a brief spell in 1985. https://www.antena2.com/futbol/liga-aguila/luto-en-el-futbol-colombiano-muere-gabriel-ochoa-uribe

And in 2017, that was fellow crackpot evil cunt Ian Brady, all the more reason to will it to happen.