Former Kaizer Chiefs central defender Jackie "Asinamali" Masike is no more. Masike was one of the founding members of Chiefs when Kaizer Motaung formed Kaizer XI after leaving Orlando Pirates. The tough and feared defender died at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Thursday night. 

SAD NEWS FOR SOCCER 

A close friend of Masike, who did not want to be known until Kaizer Chiefs confirmed his passing, told ZiMoja the sad news on Friday morning. "He has been in and out of the hospital. He was not feeling well in the past few months," said the friend. Masike was one of the players that made the Chiefs a formidable side during the 1970s and 80s. Masike was also part of that winning side of 1981 when they lifted the league, the Mainstay Cup, the BP Top 8, and the Champion of Champions.

HE IS A GOAT 

Masike was part of the legends who worked closely with other greats such as Chiefs goalkeeper Joseph Banks Sethlodi and philanthropist Thulani Msimang by visiting children with cancer at Bara Hospital. Other trophies that Masike won with Amakhosi include the 1980 Sales House Champion of Champions, the 1982 Mainstay Cup, the 1982 BP Top 8, and the 1982 Sales House Champion of Champions. Masike was one of the former legends invited during the Chiefs's 50th anniversary when they unveiled their new, black and gold replica. Masike played for Chiefs between 1970 and 1982, when he retired. When Chiefs Chairman Motaung turned 80 years old in October, Masike penned a letter to him. It read: "As the Chairman celebrates 80 years of life, I look back upon his life and go back to my first interactions with him back in 1969. I have known 'Bra K' for 55 years and in all of this time, I can say that he has been a very kind, honest, and generous human being. I travelled with him for football, and, in general, he was always and still is a welcoming person who looks out for his peers and is always happy to help. As a footballer, he was the best we had in the Kaizer XI and Kaizer Chiefs. He was a great teammate, and I wish him many more years of life."