By Michael Madyira
The larger than life Dejan Miladinovic will no longer be seen at football stadiums.
The Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana superfan succumbed to an undisclosed illness at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Wednesday.
Hailing from Serbia, Miladinovic arrived in South Africa in the early 1990s and soon became a die-hard Bafana follower.
Kaizer Chiefs superfan Masilo Machaka, who was close to Miladinovic, confirmed his death to TimesLive.
“It happened at about 2.15 pm [on Wednesday],” Machaka said.
“I was with him at Bara hospital and I could see he was struggling to breathe.”
Machaka detailed his last moments with Miladinovic who always wore his trademark durag inscribed “Chomi” as well as sunglasses.
“We stayed in the same block of flats. We attended a SA20 cricket match together at Wanderers about a month ago. At the game he said he was feeling ill and asked to go home,” he said.
“The next morning after coming back from cricket he was taken to hospital. I thought it would be two or three days but he stayed there until I heard yesterday that he had passed away.”
Popularly known as “Malaga”, Miladinovic was a committee member of the South African National Supporters Union (Sanasu) headed by Chiefs superfan Saddam “Tjovitjo” Maake.
Another prominent football supporter Mama Joy Chauke, formerly of Pirates but now with Royal AM, is Sanasu secretary general.
“Rest in peace Dejan Miladinovic prominent Orlando Pirates supporter. First it was Goodenough, now it’s you. I am broken,” posted Mama Joy Chauke on social media.
Maake also mourned Miladinovic who died two months after another Pirates superfan Goodenough “5-Skippers” Sithiole passed away.
“Rest in peace Dejan,” he posted.
Pictured above: Dejan Miladinovic
Image source: Twitter
