May 11 will forever remain a sad day in South African football as it was the day Emmanuel Asanda 'Scara' Ngobese passed away after succumbing to tuberculosis 11 years ago.
His death came just three weeks before he was due to turn 30.
It was a life taken away so early yet having left so many memories in domestic football that he had also been nicknamed 'Black Jesus' for what he could do with the ball at his feet.
He was always known as the magician from Katlehong whose arrogance on the ball was second to none.
Misunderstood by some yet loved by many what cannot be discounted is that he brought the entertainment value to domestic football.
Whenever he played it was just as difficult not to notice him.
Lanky, dark in complexion, a customary sluggish run and with a look in his eyes that shouted 'let's get it on', Ngobese made the ball talk when it was at his feet.
He was a star man for Amajita at the 1999 COSAFA Under-20 tournament when he scored in three of the five matches in that famous youth team which featured Jabu Pule (Mahlangu), Dillon Sheppard, Tso Vilakazi, Dikgang Mabalane, Lucky Maselesele, Nasief Morris, Bamuza Sono amongst others.
At the time when that youth tournament was played at the end of that year, he was already a hit at Moroka Swallows having already made his PSL debut and scored two goals.
"I used to go and watch him and [Patrick] Ningiza playing when there were tournaments because I also stay here in Spruitview. Being the kit manager at Swallows I had access to the coaches and the chairman Bro Day [the late David 'Pine' Chabeli] so I always told them about boys that I would have seen at these tournaments in the township. I would travel with them sometimes if Jeff [Moroka] couldn't make it. So, Scara became a player that I got even closer to," says former Swallows kit manager Junior Molefe.
Scara then went out to Hellenic, Tembisa Classic, Premier United, Zulu Royals before joining Kaizer Chiefs in 2004.
At Chiefs he won the league in his first season with a midfield showing that made him a popular figure under Ted Dumitru with his goal in the April 2005 drawn Soweto derby elevating him to being the 'hottest property' at the time.
When Ernst Middendorp took over the following season his contribution dwindled and at the end of his third season at Chiefs, he was then transfer listed and would eventually move to Thanda Royal Zulu where he didn't play a single match in his last season (2008/09) there before ending up at United FC.
At United FC – who played in the first division – he played four games, but he would go on to pass away in that same season.
He went out one game shy of 100 starts in the PSL with a return of 14 goals.
His only appearance in a Bafana Bafana jersey was in an unofficial international friendly – for which caps were not earned – against Swaziland at Ellis Park on March 13, 2007 under Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Emmanuel Asanda Ngobese – you can never be forgotten!