Innocent Linda Buthelezi (born 28 June 1969) is a South African former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played at both professional and international levels as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. Buthelezi played club football for
Jomo Cosmos
Jomo Cosmos are a South African association football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the National First Division. The club is owned and coached by South African football legend Jomo Sono.
In the 2021-2022 National First Division sea ...
,
Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (often known as Chiefs) are a South African professional football club based in Naturena, Johannesburg South, that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed ''AmaKhosi'', which means "Lords" or "Chie ...
,
Karabükspor,
Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as "The Buccaneers") is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as DStv ...
,
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premier Soccer League, the first tier of South African football l ...
and
SuperSport United
SuperSport United Football Club (often known as SuperSport) is a South African professional football club based in Atteridgeville in Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The team currently plays in the Dstv Premiership. United is known as ''Matsats ...
. He went on unsuccessful trials at South Korean
Pohang Atoms.
He also earned 27 caps for the
South African national side between 1994 and 1997. He was part of the squad that won the
1996 African Cup of Nations
The 1996 African Cup of Nations was the 20th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by South Africa, who replaced original hosts Kenya. The field expanded for the first time to 16 teams, s ...
and made unwanted international headlines in 1997 when a tackle on
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally talente ...
saw the English midfielder stretchered off.
FIFA.com
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References
External links
*
1969 births
Living people
South African soccer players
South Africa men's international soccer players
1996 African Cup of Nations players
Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. players
Orlando Pirates F.C. players
Jomo Cosmos F.C. players
Men's association football midfielders
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