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This African Footballer Tried To Send A Soccer Ball Into Orbit

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the South African midfielder Hlompho Kekana. His five-year mission: to blast a soccer ball into orbit. 

Hlompho Kekana

Houston...we're experiencing what looks like a golazo up here. Please advise. Photo: @DRogozin | Twitter

Kekana came one step closer against Cameroon, when he blasted a ball from the halfway line that threatened to break the time-space continuum. 

This isn't the first time that Kekana has attempted to free the soccer ball from the pesky restraints of gravity. Check this beauty out from 2014.

Word on the street is that scientists are examining Kekana's foot for possible future applications to their hadron collider technology, however progress has been stunted by the fact that Kekana actually has to be able to see the object before he can kick the living s*** out of it. 

While Hlompho Kekana continues his admirable work in the field of soccer space travel, in his honor we here at The18 feel that the word "hlomp" should be a new verb in the world of soccer. Here's an example: 

Soccer Fan A: Did you see Ronaldo's goal at the weekend? 

Soccer Fan B: Yeah dude! He totally hlomped it.

It can even be used as a noun, as in: 

"Ronaldo scored an absolute hlomp today." 

Hlompho Kekana

Photo: @SuperSportTV | Twitter

Even The18 staff writer Sam Klomhaus has agreed to change his name to Hlomphaus (and by agreed, we obviously mean threw a stapler at our head).   

OK. So the name may not catch on, but in all seriousness...goal of the season contender? 

Follow me on Twitter @J_Hansen_89

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