Oshwin Andries, the captain of the South African Under-20 Men’s Football Team, has passed away at the age of 19, his club Stellenbosch FC has confirmed.
Although the young talent’s cause of death has not been made public, reports in local media suggest that he was stabbed to death on Saturday morning, February 4.
The Statement of the Club:
“It is with deep sadness that Stellenbosch F.C. has learned of the untimely passing of promising young defender, Oshwin Andries. The Club is not in a position to provide further information at this stage and asks that his family’s privacy is respected in this difficult time of bereavement”.
“His presence, both on the pitch and off it, will be sorely missed. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Stellenbosch F.C. are with his family, friends and loved ones.
“A further statement will follow in due course.”
Andries, who was born in Stellenbosch, attended Cloetesville High School before joining the Stellenbosch first team after graduating from the SFC Academy.
South Africa’s Most Popular Figure Has Passed On
He made his first appearance in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) against Baroka in December 2021 at the age of 18, and he became the club’s youngest ever top-flight goalscorer when he scored against Royal AM in August, just days after making his first start for Stellenbosch and winning the Man of the Match award against Orlando Pirates, which are considered to be the biggest team in the country.
On January 27, Andries made his first appearance for the team, appearing in every minute of Stellenbosch’s 3-2 victory over Cape Town City.
The versatile defender won the Man of the Match award in October’s 5-2 victory over Namibia while playing for South Africa in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
