Lebogang Morula

Lebogang Morula
Personal information
Full name Lebogang Ghiba Morula
Date of birth (1966-12-18)18 December 1966
Place of birth Brits, North West, South Africa
Date of death 9 August 2024(2024-08-09) (aged 57)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder, forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1995 Jomo Cosmos
1995 Once Caldas 1 (0)
1996 Aurich–Cañaña (1+[2])
1997 Jomo Cosmos
1997–1998 Vanspor 16 (1)
1998–2001 Jomo Cosmos
International career
1998 South Africa 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lebogang Ghiba Morula[3] (sometimes spelt Lebohang) (22 December 1968 in Brits, North West – 9 August 2024) was a South African football player.

Club career

Morula started his career at Jomo Cosmos in South Africa and moved in 1995 to Colombian club Once Caldas with fellow South African footballer Teboho Moloi in a "pay as you play" contract.[4] He made his debut against Deportes Quindío becoming the first African player to appear in the Categoría Primera A. However, he disliked the contract based on appearances and left the club after playing only 20 minutes.[5]

In 1996, he was brought to Peru by former South Africa manager Augusto Palacios to play for Aurich–Cañaña,[6][7] ending the season relegated from the 1996 Torneo Descentralizado.

In 1997, Morula returned to Jomo Cosmos, scoring once in the Rothmans Cup against AmaZulu.[8] He joined Turkish club Vanspor in December,[9] playing 16 Süper Lig matches and scoring once against Kocaelispor, but couldn't avoid ending at the bottom at the table and left the club after the end of the season. He returned to Jomo Cosmos as a player-assistant[10] before ending his career in 2001.

International career

Morula acquired Peruvian citizenship by the time he played at Juan Aurich, but opted to play for the South Africa national football team.[11] He appeared once in a friendly match against Iceland[1][12] and was a member of the squad that travelled to France for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[13]

Personal life

His son Karol Josep Lebogang Bernal was born in Peru and is a right-back,[14] having trained with the Peru national under-20 football team.[15][16]

Morula was arrested for many crimes such as hijacking,[17] stealing cars[18] generators and electronic goods,[19] ATM robbery,[20] and armed robbery.[21] He was also convicted of malicious damage to property back in 1986 and theft in 2004.[22]

He also faced controversy in his second marriage in 2014 when his bride's mother and two of his sons attempted to stop the wedding stating he was still married to his legal wife, who was on her deathbed. It was also stated that his new wife had a boyfriend and that he struck Morula with a buttstock later in the same night.[23]

Death

He was killed on 9 August 2024.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "Lebogang Morula". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  2. ^ Retrobolas (5 May 2012). "Sangre Africana en El Norte". retrobolas.blogspot.com.br. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Ex-Bafana player linked to hijacking". sowetanlive.co.za. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Hoy Debuta Morula". El Tiempo. 19 November 1995. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Buscar noticias y contenidos en GOL Caracol". golcaracol.com. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Made in Africa" (in Spanish). De Chalaca. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  7. ^ Aurichista, El (3 February 2016). "juanaurich-elciclondelnorte: El hijo de Morula". juanaurich-elciclondelnorte.blogspot.com.br. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  8. ^ "South Africa 1997/98". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Lebogang William Morula". TFF. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  10. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/sport/cosmos-lose-out-to-stars-as-quieroz-looks-on-1.346729 [dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Citypress Sunday 21 June 1998 p. 11". m24arg02.naspers.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ "International Matches 1998 - Intercontinental". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  13. ^ 1998 FIFA World Cup - South Africa Squad Archived 2009-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Karol Lebogang, son of ex-Bafana midfielder Lebo Morula joins Juan Aurich".
  15. ^ Depor, Redacción (4 February 2016). "Selección Peruana: Hijo de mundialista sudafricano podría jugar por Perú". Depor. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Scouting: Karol Lebogang". diariodeunscout.com. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  17. ^ www.realnet.co.uk (11 October 2011). "Former Jomo Cosmos player Lebohang Morula arrested for hijacking". kickoff.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Ex-Bafana Bafana soccer star now a house robber, gets arrested during honeymoon - South Africa Latest News". Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  19. ^ "Drama as Zimbabweans beat up 2 South African Policemen for being too corrupt". southafricalatestnews.co.za. 11 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Former Bafana star nabbed by Hawks - IOL News". iol.co.za. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  21. ^ "SowetanLIVE". www.sowetanlive.co.za. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  22. ^ http://www.ann7.com/article/31997-1105201511052015-morula-back-in-court-for-bail-application.html#.Vr3XFPkrKM8
  23. ^ eDuzeNet. "Former footballer arrested soon after wedding :: NewsBite". newsbite.it. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Ex-Bafana star shot dead!". Daily Sun. Retrieved 11 November 2024.