Phil Masinga, born 28 June 1969 in Klerksdorp, Western Transvaal in the North-West Province of South Africa, showed immense promise at primary school. He attended the coaching clinics run by legendary South African superstar Jomo Sono, who had played in the US for New York Cosmos, alongside former superstars Pele and Franz Beckenbauer. Masinga joined Sono's club, Jomo Midas Cosmos in 1988. Sono had renamed the old Highland Park club after buying it when he returned from the States in 1982.

Sono remembers Masinga as someone who was very humble. 'I remember a lot of things about Masinga, but I can say only two come to my mind, the goal he scored against Orlando Pirates in his first game for Jomo Cosmos and the goal against Congo which took us to the World Cup - that was a historical moment for the country.'

23 goals in 88 games brought Masinga to the attention of the Pretorian club, Mamelodi Sundowns, one of the country's finest. South Africa treble winners in 1990, they had finished the following season trophyless and badly needed a proven goalscorer like Masinga. Their interest had been piqued when Masinga scored a hat-trick when Cosmos lost 4-3 to Kaizer Chiefs in the BP Cup final in February 1991.

There was little improvement in 1991/92, with the Sundowns eclipsed by their biggest rivals, Kaizer Chiefs. But Masinga was flourishing, and it was only natural that he should lead the South Africa attack when the Bafana Bafana were readmitted to FIFA in 1992, following a suspension that had begun in 1964 because of the country's attitude to race. He played in their first official international after their return, 7 July 1992 against Cameroon, a 1-0 victory. Also in the side that day was future Leeds team-mate Lucas Radebe. This was the first of three matches in five days against Cameroon. Masinga and his cousin, Bennet Masinga, both scored in the third game, a 2-2 draw, when South Africa twice fought back from a goal down.

Masinga's goals took Sundowns to the First Division title in 1993, a season that saw Jomo Midas Cosmos relegated, but they could not retain their title the following season. Nevertheless, Masinga had a successful season, taking his international goal haul up to 60 goals in 16 appearances.

Desperate to sign attacking reinforcements, Leeds United had originally agreed a move for Czech World Cup striker Tomas Skuhravy. When that deal collapsed, scout Geoff Sleight returned to West Yorkshire having agreed contracts with Masinga and Lucas Radebe. The fee for Masinga was £275,000, but both signings were greeted with some apprehension by cynical Leeds fans.

Masinga and Radebe were included on Leeds' summer tour of Italy and came on as substitutes against US Lampo in Lamperechio, as Leeds won 10-0. Radebe scored the fourth after 63 minutes and Masinga got a hat-trick in the space of 12 minutes shortly afterwards. Masinga added two more three days layer as Leeds beat Ascoli. A fortnight later, he scored another three in an 8-2 win at Boston United to hint he would enjoy a massive season.

He got his first-team scoring record going in his second start, a home defeat to Chelsea, but it would be 17 December before he scored again, notching twice in a victory at Arsenal. A month later he scored three in nine minutes during extra-time in a Cup replay against Walsall. He finished the season with nine goals from 27 appearances.

Masinga was given the honour of captaining the side against former side Mamelodi Sundowns on the pre-season tour of South Africa in the summer, but the arrival of Tony Yeboah at the start of the year had consigned Masinga to a watching brief for the most part.

It didn't impact on his international chances, however, and he was part of the South Africa side that won the African Cup of Nations in 1996.

He left Leeds at the end of the season when his work permit was not renewed, signing on with St Gallen in Switzerland.

Masinga moved to Italy with Salernitana in 1997. While he was there, Masinga scored against former Leeds team-mate Nigel Martyn in a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford to set a new South African goal-scoring record, overhauling Donald Wilson's best aggregate which had stood since 1947.

An impressive start with his new club saw him step up to play for Bari for four years, and he continued to make his mark for his country, scoring the decisive goal in the 1997 game against the Republic of the Congo that took South Africa to the 1998 World Cup finals in France. Before they headed to France, South Africa defended their African Nations crown, and they made a good fist of it. They reached the final against Egypt with both Masinga and Radebe in the side, but the Pharaohs proved too strong and ran out 2-0 winners.

In the World Cup finals in France, South Africa lost 3-0 to the host nation in their opening match in Marseille, then Masinga came on for Shaun Bartlett in an explosive 1-1 draw with Denmark. Three players, all second-half substitutes, were dismissed - South Africa's Alfred Phiri and Danish duo Miklos Molnar and Morten Wieghorst. A 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia, which Masinga missed, saw the Bafana Bafana on the plane home.

Masinga's 50th cap came as a 2-0 win against Mauritius in Durban put South Africa through to the African Nations once more, and his final goal for his country came in another ANC qualifier when Liberia were beaten 2-1.

Despite his goalscoring exploits, he was not popular with a section of Bafana Bafana fans and was booed virtually every time he touched the ball when playing for a Nelson Mandela XI against the World Stars in August 1999. He vowed never to play in front of a home crowd again but was persuaded by Nelson Mandela himself to reverse his decision.

Masinga left Bari in the summer of 2001 and arranged a move to Coventry City but could not get a work permit once again and the deal collapsed. He later played for the Al-Wahada club in the United Arab Emirates before returning to his homeland as a coach with PJ Stars. He was appointed a 2010 World Cup ambassador.

On 13 January 2019, Masinga died of cancer in Johannesburg, after being admitted to hospital the previous month.