Local football mourns PSL assistant referee Maxito

South African football has lost one of its most promising match officials in Moeketsi Max Molelekoa. The Fifa-accredited assistant referee died in a car accident on Friday.

A media outlet in his home town of Botshabelo in the Free State posted images of a mangled wreck that was said to be Molelekoa's car, in what looked like a collision with a bus.

Recently retired PSL centre referee Victor Hlungwani said they were deeply saddened by the news of Molelekoa's passing.

"We are shattered when we lose young people who are meant to be carrying the South African flag on the international referees panel of Fifa and CAF," Hlungwani told City Press.

This is not the first time local refereeing has been robbed of promising talent in a tragic manner, after centre referee Eketsang Setloboko and assistant Shaun Olive also had their lives cut short in separate car accidents.

Setloboko had been officiating in the PSL since 2015, before his untimely death in December 2018.

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Olive, the 2019/20 assistant referee of the season, died in May 2021.

Noted Safa head of referees Abdul Ebrahim in a statement confirming the tragic news of Molelekoa's passing:

Safa is responsible for the training, development and outsourcing of referees to the PSL, which also expressed its shock at the sad news.

As has become customary, the league will observe a moment of silence in Molelekoa's honour ahead of its fixtures this weekend across the premier and first divisions, as well in the reserve league.

Said the PSL in a statement on Saturday morning:

Fondly known as Maxito among his peers and colleagues in refereeing circles, Molelekoa was steadily establishing himself as one of the PSL's highest rated match officials, given the magnitude of the games he was often assigned to.

He had become a regular component of a trio that had World Cup referees Victor Gomes and assistant Zakhele Siwela.

The high-profile fixtures Molelekoa was in charge of included the Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in October, which he handled with Gomes and Siwela.

Before the epic DStv Premiership match, Molelekoa ran the line in the MTN8 semifinal first leg between Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in Polokwane on October 22.

He and Siwela manned the line at Orlando Stadium for Pirates' league clash against Golden Arrows last weekend.

Referee appointments are a well-kept secret until match day, but City Press understands that he had been assigned to Bucs' premiership game against Stellenbosch on Sunday. 

Molelekoa, who has been on the Fifa panel since 2021, also handled some CAF fixtures last season.

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He was a personable individual and was active on social media, especially on Twitter via his official handle, @MaxMolelekoa, where he regularly interacted with his followers.

Molelekoa also used the social platform to document some of his milestones, including the bond he shared with his daughter and his late mother.

He was a fashionista too, based on the regular social media posts he shared to express his obsession with fashion trends.  

Safa said details of his funeral service and other related activities would be conveyed in due course.