Cape Town - Despite a childhood reliant on a single mother, slain soccer prodigy and the “wizard with magical feet,” Oshwin Andries, 19, had lofty dreams.
Oshwin, a Stellenbosch FC midfielder, wanted to one day suit up for Barcelona’s national team and supplant his icon Sergio Busquets as one of the world’s leading soccer players. If that didn’t pan out, his brother Lee-Irwin Andries told Weekend Argus, he would have picked up the pieces and try again.
But Oshwin’s life was cut short days before his 20th birthday. He was stabbed incessantly with a sharp object during a get together in Klapmuts.
The knife attack allegedly erupted after Oshwin bantered with the alleged attacker.
“He was making a joke and that irked the suspect,” said Lee-Irwin. “He stabbed my brother from the side, repeatedly.”
Oshwin succumbed to his wounds, exactly six days after the attack in the arms of his mother.
“My mommy was taking him to the hospital yesterday, and he passed away in her car, in her arms. She is extremely distraught,” said Lee-Irwin.
Police spokesperson, captain Nowonga Sukwana said: “Oshwin Andries passed away after his family took him to the hospital.”
Sukwana added: “He was treated for stab wounds and released and then his family took him to Paarl hospital. Circumstances around his stabbing, are still under investigation.”
Lee-Irwin said he saw his brother’s body at the hospital.
“It looked like he was taking a nap,” he said, breaking into sobs.
“When I looked at his body, you could see he was fighting very hard and that he was tired and it really looked like he was taking a nap, he looked very peaceful,” he said.
“It’s very hard for me, I helped my mother raising him. I was his father figure and we had a bond like no other.”
Lee-Irwin said his brother was the “wizard with magical feet and the Einstein of football”.
“He was the best ... he knew what he was doing. He trained every single day and he always said he is doing everything he does just for us.”
Lee-Irwin said he is waiting to be reunited with Oshwin in the hereafter.
“Nothing will ever be the same, I will miss his silliness and his big heart,” Lee-Irwin said, crying inconsolably. “Oshwin was a light; he lighted up everybody, I will see him again one day.”
A close friend of Oshwin, Lee Korkie told Weekend Argus that he is “gutted”.
“I worked very closely with Oshwin, every step of his football career. He had so much talent. The last time I saw him was in the dressing room and he was so happy,” said Korkie.
Stellenbosch FC, in a statement, said: “Andries was a gifted young footballer who graduated from the SFC academy to make his professional debut at the age of 18.
“He later became the club’s youngest goalscorer in the DStv Premiership.”
Stellenbosch Good PR Councilor Robin Hendrikse said: “A legend was hand picked by God. He lived his dream, gave his best, he lead his team with distinction ... May your young soul rest in eternal peace.“
Weekend Argus