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Senzo Robert Meyiwa (24 January 1984 – 26 October 2014) was a South African professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for and captained both Orlando Pirates in the Premier Soccer League, and the South Africa national team.
He was shot and killed in a home invasion on 26 October 2014.
Josephs left Pirates in 2013 to Bidvest Wits, after seeing that he was no longer the first-choice goalkeeper. Pirates brought Ghanaian goalkeeper Fatau Dauda in 2013 season, but Meyiwa continued to start and Dauda played only 3 games for Pirates before leaving to Chippa United in 2014.
Meyiwa is known for saving penalties in the CAF Champions League 2013 against TP Mazembe, when he saved two penalties which were both taken by Tresor Mputu. Though Pirates lost 1-0 in that match, they won on an aggregate of 3–2.
Meyiwa guided Pirates to the final against Al Ahly SC, which Pirates lost 3-1 on aggregate.
He was given a captain's armband in all of his last four games that which he played in 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and he joined Brian Baloyi and Moeneeb Josephs by being the only goalkeepers who captained Bafana in four occasions each without conceding a goal during their captaincy, with two draws and two wins each of them. He earned a total of seven international caps with six clean sheets.
As a mark of respect, the Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, due to be played on 1 November 2014, was postponed. President Jacob Zuma mourned the loss and called for Meyiwa's killers to be found. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter called Meyiwa's death a "senseless, tragic loss." Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas posted a picture on Instagram of Meyiwa holding Casillas' Real Madrid jersey that was exchanged when Spain played South Africa in an international friendly.
He was given a state funeral which took place in Durban, at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 1 November, his funeral was attended by his fans and friends, multitude of football fans, his football club colleagues, football officials and politician dignitaries included Premier Soccer League and Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza, Kaizer Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung, Mamelodi Sundowns owner Patrice Motsepe, SAFA President Danny Jordaan, General Bantu Holomisa, Bheki Cele, Former Premiers of KwaZulu-Natal S'bu Ndebele, Zweli Mkhize who was also the program director of the funeral, Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Senzo Mchunu, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe who made a eulogy for Meyiwa.
Meyiwa was laid to rest in Chesterville, KwaZulu-Natal. During the funeral at Moses Mabhida Stadium, his father, Samuel, was photographed greeting the crowd in attendance by leaning out his car window with his arms outstretched, which sparked an Internet meme.
In October 2020, five men were charged with murdering Meyiwa. The suspects denied that they were involved in the killing.
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