FORMER BOYS’ Town and Harbour View attacker Rafiek Thomas, who was shot and killed in his community of Denham Town yesterday morning, is being remembered as a prolific goalscorer with a deft touch, sublime skills, and an appetite for the big moment. According to reports, armed men invaded the player’s residence on Water Street in the community while he slept, and opened fire on the dwelling, hitting Thomas and another person. The other person has been listed as injured.
Thomas, who was 39 years old at the time of his death, also represented Tivoli Gardens, Waterhouse and Humble Lion. Harbour View general manager Clyde Jureidini remembers Thomas as a gifted player. “His skills were so sublime that sometimes you would wonder what he did because he did it with such ease and composure.
“He had this greatness in him that when it was time or moment to win a game or to come up with a goal out of something or nothing, Rafiek would appear and disappear and if you take your eyes off him he’ll hurt you. “He scored some winning goals in crazy fashion, and a lot of them were headers. “Rafiek is average height and a little, ‘mawga’ youth.
You don’t expect him to outjump defenders and big, strong goalkeepers but he would sneak in and clip it just before the goalkeeper got there or get between defenders, and a lot of times with his head. “So even when his attributes and skill sets were largely with his touch, his passing and finishing with his feet, he would find other .