Kaizer Chiefs founder and chairman Kaizer Motaung has sent a birthday message to Amakhosi, addressing topics such as the formation of the club, losing the 2020 title in the last 30 minutes and the recent Covid-19 outbreak.
The Glamour Boys were founded on 7 January 1970 and are celebrating their 52nd birthday today, leading to Khoza reflecting on the past.
“Well, I must say that this is the day that will be remembered long after we have left, because it is a great day indeed. Because here this baby was born to bring some excitement to the entire communities of football. And to me, it is one of the greatest days ever, in my sporting life. That day, we started this beautiful organization called Kaizer Chiefs,” he told the club’s media department.
“Because at the time we started this thing, there was a need for change as far as soccer is concerned. And it came at a time when we obviously had a few hiccups, where we were playing at the time. The reasons obviously are history now, everyone knows about the history of Kaizer Chiefs, how it was formed, and how it was born.
Building the Kaizer Chiefs brand
“But the day itself, we will always remember, it can never be forgotten. how significant this day was. Because when we started, we also had a lot of skeptics, who thought maybe we were not serious, we just taking a chance. Little did they know that some of us, especially me, I had this burning desire to actually be part of a great thing. Great in the sense that I wanted it to be something that the South African people can be proud of. And I must say I’m very much vindicated because those who were on the other side of us were saying that we won’t even last one season. Right. But then, the reason we succeeded was because we understood the challenge, that this was an enormous challenge, and it requires our 110% commitment, which meant that we have to invest our whole lives on this beautiful brand, which we did.
“And of course, I must be thankful to all the other founding fathers who were part of this exercise when it started. Because without them, it wouldn’t have taken off in the first place. So we always have to give credit to those who were there, especially those who have also departed this world and they’ve left us with a responsibility to continue with the journey. So this to me, is something that I can also feel proud of, that our exercise was not infertility, it was actually good. Because today, every second, every third person you meet on Saturdays is a Kaizer Chiefs follower. It just shows the magnitude of this brand and what it means to people.
Overcoming challenges & obstacles
“I cannot get into the details of what we have done, but I can always remember that this brand has had very, very serious and very important influences on the lives of the people in this country. And as we continue with the journey, we are still confronted, obviously with some challenges. Because getting to where we are today was not very easy. We knew the challenge was really hard in front of us but we were determined to succeed, we were determined to achieve what we set out to do. And I do hope that with the new up and coming generations, this will continue by leaps and bounds. And that they will have to also understand the history of this, of this brand, and understand where it comes from. And they will have to know, its significance in terms of the people, it’s about the people, not individuals, because we are here to serve the people.
“And I’m happy that I have served people for so long with all my other people. I mean, with the help of those around us, those that have become part of this journey. So it is very, very difficult to single out one important achievement or one important day because there are so many. And there’s also been some challenges, obviously, it has not been a bed of roses for us, because we’ve also come up against some stumbling blocks, some unfortunate incidents where we lost lives of other people along the way. And those of us who have also left us in the normal way, of course, we obviously always have to remember each one of those people who have been part of this journey, and carry them along with us, every time we look around, we must be able to feel their presence. And therefore I am not going to just single out any particular day, or achievement.
Covid-19 & the missed title in 2020
“But this day itself is something that I hold very dear to my heart, because it was a day when this baby was born. And now we look forward as we continue with the journey. We are now in a very new environment, in terms of us what has befallen the world over, the question of this COVID 19, which, in fact has hit us very, very heavy. Because during its beginning, we aimed at going to celebrate our 50th year anniversary. And as things were happening, it looked very bright until this thing hit us and then we had to go and play under difficult conditions. And as such, we could not be able to achieve the end result that we aimed at, to finish our 50th year with the league trophy, which was within our hands until the last 30 minutes of the season.
“And of course, now that we’ve gone past that record, this unfortunate COVID-19 continued and is still there. It’s not making our lives easy. And just recently, obviously we had an outbreak, which was unprecedented in the country, where we had over over 40, 50 people affected starting with the people first which actually rendered us inactive, when we couldn’t play our two games because we had to shut down the village. And of course, we can never forget what has happened to us because of this pandemic right now. And of course, we obviously wish our deepest condolences to those who left because of this pandemic, all those in all different sectors of the society, who became victims of this pandemic. And we hope to continue and hope that as we continue in this new normal, things will will change.
“We know that today technology plays a very, very significant part hence we do operate on different levels compared to your past normal. But we do hope that God willing, the status quo will change once more so we can live a normal life and be able to enjoy what God is giving us. We should thank God for His blessings, for having given us the strength and wisdom for us to continue, and send the people because ours is to serve people and make people happy.
Fans, sponsors, PSL & SAFA
“So I just want to touch to our supporters, whom we miss very much, now because of this pandemic, and say that we miss you. But things will turn, things will change. And God will provide for us to live a normal life once more.
“And I wish to thank our partners also who have played a significant role in making sure that we continue to meet some of the challenges that require their help, and all the sponsors and everybody else who has made a contribution to this beautiful brand. Yeah, we thank the sponsors for having been part of our journey.
“And of course, I would be remiss if I don’t thank the Premier Soccer League now that is in charge of running professional football in the country, for having been part of our journey, as well. And SAFA and everyone else that makes a contribution to the development of sport in this country. They are all helping in making sure that we leave a good legacy when the time is up, for the new generation who takes over.
“I can wish everyone everything of the best. All the Amakhosi family, everything of the best. And let’s keep the faith and continue the commitment that we have made that we need in the beginning to really build this brand to become a global brand and be able to represent our country.
“Chairman, well done thank you very much.”
