Fans are now reminiscing in awe after FIFA's official account posted a video of Mamelodi Sundowns legend Tiyani Mabunda tearing it up during his glittering playing days.
The story
Mabunda may have taken a vastly different path to football after hanging up his boots in 2021 at the age of 33. He is now a pastor, however, he remains popularly remembered for his trophy-laden career at Chloorkop, where he claimed six league titles, the Caf Champions League, Caf Super Cup, Telkom Knockout and Nedbank Cup trophies.
Nicknamed "Sugar", the playmaker was considered one of the pillars of the squad during his eight-year stint at Downs and had a lot of glowing moments, including his participation at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup.
Read: Inside Parker's golden year before tragic injury
The Brazilians, however, would lose both of their matches at the tournament after suffering defeats to Japanese side Kashima Antlers in the first match and a fifth-place play-off at the hands of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors from South Korea.
Mabunda, though, was one of the notable performers for the South African side as he played the full 90 minutes in both games.
FIFA, through their social media pages, posted a clip of Mabunda recently showcasing his "smooth" skills at that particular tournament, see below!
Fans reminisce
The reel certainly sparked a reaction from South African football lovers. One commenter, Daniel Juvenile said: "I thought he is Thierry Henry."
"If only south african football could develop the way its rugby team could," says Rico Ferreira.
"This what I call rare occurrences, never would have saw admin posting SA videos," says Rev de Baller.
"Our very own Sugar," says Nompilo Mabaso.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH: