5 May 2020 – The South African Football Association (SAFA) has conveyed their deepest condolences following the passing on of Amazulu legend Cedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu on Monday, 5 May 2020.
He was 81.
Xulu, who also turned out for clubs like Avalon Athletics and Aces in Durban, passed away at Marianhill Hospital.
It was after his exploits for Amazulu that the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont was named after him as he was considered one of South Africa’s best players during his era.
“Sugar Ray is a legend with a football heart. It was always a pleasure and uplifting to the spirit to meet and listen to him. The picture you see (image accompanying this copy) is of us giving him a National Team jersey, with Madiba on the front,” said SAFA President Danny Jordaan.
“We told him he would have won a place to wear that jersey but apartheid denied him. May his soul rest in peace. Our heart-felt condolences, prayers and thoughts are with his family during this difficult time, more so as we cannot be able to join them due to the lockdown regulations in place. Rest well Sugar Ray.”
Xulu was a lethal player in the colours of Amazulu in 1960 and also played for the South African Black Eleven in the seventies.
Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium:
- a multi-purpose stadium in Clermont, a township of Durban, South Africa
- It is currently used mostly for football matches
- was selected as one of the 3 training venues of the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2010 and brought up to FIFA standards.
- The stadium’s small capacity was expanded from 1,700 to 6,500 as a lasting legacy of the World Cup
- Cedric ‘Sugar Ray’ Xulu, a footballer considered a living legend in Durban.