Former legendary Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker will be laid to rest in a special provincial official funeral category 2, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
Barker died at the age of 78 last weekend after following a short battle with Lewy Body Dementia, a health condition that affects a person’s ability to think, reason and process information.
This week, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube welcomed the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to grant the national hero the special send-off that he deserves.
“The Special Provincial Official Funeral Category 2, which includes elements of police ceremonial honours, is reserved for distinguished persons specifically designated by the president of South Africa on request by the premier of a province,” said Dube-Ncube in statement.
“We welcome the honour bestowed upon him by the president of our country. It is a befitting recognition of Clive ‘The Dog’ Barker for his role as an exemplary sports leader.
“He dedicated his life to the development of football at grassroots level, empowering his players and breaking race barriers on the field.”
Barker is the only coach to have guided the men’s national team, Bafana Bafana, to continental glory, after beating Tunisia 2-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final in 1996.
The Dog, as he was affectionately known, will be remembered for his famous ‘aeroplane’ celebration, where he would run around the side of the pitch with his arms wide open in jubilation after a goal.
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