Gift Leremi

{{short description|South African soccer player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Use South African English|date=August 2012}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gift Leremi

| image =

| fullname = Mpho Gift Leremi

| height = {{convert|1.75|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.orlandopiratesfc.com/default.asp?cId=11151|title = Orlando Pirates Football Club | Official Website | Home of the Legends|date = 13 August 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1984|10|13}}

| birth_place = Soweto, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2007|9|3|1984|10|13}}

| death_place = Alberton, South Africa

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Sprinters Development Soccer Academy

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Orlando Pirates

| years1 = 2002–2007

| years2 = 2007

| clubs1 = Orlando Pirates

| clubs2 = Mamelodi Sundowns

| caps1 = 70

| caps2 = 2

| goals1 = 15

| goals2 = 1

| nationalteam1 = South Africa U23

| nationalteam2 = South Africa

| nationalyears1 = 2001–2004

| nationalyears2 = 2004–2005

| nationalcaps1 = 21

| nationalcaps2 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| pcupdate = July, 2007

| ntupdate = July, 2007

}}

Mpho Gift Leremi (13 October 1984 – 3 September 2007) was a South African football midfielder who last played for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League, and South Africa. Leremi died in a car crash on 3 September 2007 near Johannesburg, South Africa.{{cite web

| url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=iol1188889187674G134

| title=Bafana player killed in car crash

| work=Independent Online|location=South Africa

| accessdate=2007-09-04

}}

Career

Leremi was an offensive midfielder who began his career with the youth club Pimville Giants in Soweto, where he was born, and discovered by Orlando Pirates in 1999 at a local soccer tournament. Upon joining the Pirates development team, Augusto Palacios, the Pirates youth director, immediately recognized the talent in the player and took him under his wing.

Leremi made his debut for Orlando Pirates in 2002–03 season of the Premier Soccer League on 10 August 2002 against Moroka Swallows, winning the league title in his debut season.

In the summer of 2007 he moved to the then Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Death

On 3 September 2007, Leremi was returning home after a CAF Confederation Cup game in Cameroon against Astres FC when he was involved in a traffic collision in Alberton outside Johannesburg.{{cite web|title=Police probe mystery of Gift's final drive|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/police-probe-mystery-of-gift-s-final-drive-1.369457#.UnjtxFNEsy4|accessdate=5 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105134700/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/police-probe-mystery-of-gift-s-final-drive-1.369457#.UnjtxFNEsy4|archive-date=5 November 2013|url-status=dead}} He sustained massive injuries and ultimately died as a result of the accident.

References