THE funeral service for the former Orlando Pirates player Phil Jones Setshedi, who died three days after he underwent surgery after a short illness, is underway at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Joburg.
Families and friends have gathered at the church to pay their last respects to the fallen legend.
Setshedi, who was affectionately known as "Mr Clean", will be buried at the Waterfall Cemetery on Friday, 27 October.
Mr Clean passed away on Thursday, 19 October, three days after surgery, after a short illness. This was revealed to Daily Sun by his daughter, Malodi Setshedi.
According to the Setshedi family, Phil Jones started playing soccer at the tender age of 10 for Moroka Swallows Babes. A scout later recruited him to join Orlando Pirates FC. This is where he became a shining star.
"In 1978, he was chosen to go to the United States of America to play in the North American Soccer League in Denver, Colorado. On his return home, he rejoined Orlando Pirates as a player/coach, and it was during this stint in 1980 that he broke the record of one of his most talked about achievements with the team, playing 17 games in succession without loss and Orlando Pirates won the prestigious 1980 Mainstay Cup. This was no mean feat for a young man," they said.
Paying tributes to the legend, in their statement, Pirates said that during his playing days at the club, Phil Setshedi was a formidable defender.
