Kaizer Chiefs' Yusuf Maart Shares Feelings About FIFA Puskas Award Snub

• Everything pointed to Yusuf Maart making the shortlist of 2023 FIFA Puskas Award nominees
• The Kaizer Chiefs midfielder chose the perfect stage, the Soweto Derby, to sink Orlando Pirates with one of the all-time great South African goals
• However, he did not make the nominees' list despite FIFA acknowledging the goal in front of a global audience

It is water off a duck's back.

That is the feeling Yusuf Maart has over missing out on being nominated for the 2023 FIFA Puskas Award. The Kaizer Chiefs midfielder made the headlines worldwide after scoring from behind the halfway line in the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates last October. The world's football governing body even shared it on its wide-reaching social media platforms, suggesting that it was worthy of the award.

Despite this, Maart said to The Citizen:

“At the end of the day it is the Almighty who puts everything out there for you. And it is something you cannot control with your own hands. You cannot be upset because you have no control over it. If it is not there, it is not there, there is nothing you can do about it."

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Chileans respond to Maart stunner

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart's sensational behind-the-half-way-line goal against Orlando Pirates has officially gained the world's attention.

In a Twitter post, FIFA shared the goal with millions of its followers, suggesting that it would be considered for a Puskas Award nomination if voters got behind it.

Follower @marcelismo26, who appears to be Chilean and backed by many others, made it a point of responding to this tweet by bringing attention to an even more spectacular goal by Felipe Gutierrez for Universidad Catolica, against Audax Italiano in the Chilean Primera División.

Kekana praises Maart's goal

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart has an admirer of legendary status.

Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns legend Hlompho Kekana praised Maart for the goal he scored against Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby from behind the halfway line at Soccer City. The odds were high that the goal could be nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award, with the world football governing body encouraging voters to consider it for the gong.

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Kekana was nominated for the award in 2016 after scoring a similar goal for South Africa against Cameroon.