South Africa Soccer-Team Captain Killed During Attempted Robbery

South African soccer-team captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot and killed during an attempted robbery Sunday night, police said, according to the Associated Press.

According to the report, the incident occurred around 8 p.m., when two gunmen entered a home near Johannesburg belonging to Meyiwa’s friend while an accomplice waited outside. The authorities did not confirm whose home it was.

Meyiwa, who played for the country’s Orlando Pirates club, was shot in the upper body. According to AP, there has been speculation in the local media that the 27-year-old was shot in the back while protecting his girlfriend, but the police spokesman did not comment on those reports.

The incident is being treated as an attempted robbery, and a murder investigation is also being conducted. According to AP, there were seven people in the house at the time of the incident. The three invaders ran away from the scene after the shooting, and police are offering a $14,000 reward for information leading to arrests, AP notes.

"This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it—to Senzo's family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation," Orlando Pirates Chairman Irvin Khoza said in a statement released after Meyiwa’s death, according to AP.

The police reportedly had to call for calm as people they described as “upset” gathered around the house and hospital after Meyiwa’s death was announced.

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