The man who established Kaizer Chiefs and made invaluable contributions to South African football, one Kaizer Motaung, was honoured with induction into the Order of Ikhamanga in 2013.
Established to replace previous civilian honours, the Order of Ikhamanga honours South African citizens who excel or make significant contributions towards arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sports.
The order has three classes, namely: Gold (OIG), for exceptional achievement, Silver (OIS), for excellent achievement, and Bronze (OIB), for outstanding achievement.
Why Kaizer Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung was inducted into the Order of Ikhamanga
Motaung was honoured by then State President Jacob Zuma with the National Order of Ikhamanga in a ceremony held at the Presidential Guest House in the Capital City on Freedom Day, 27 April 2013.
“By acknowledging and paying homage to our heroes and heroines, the ceremony elevates the spirit expressed in the preamble of our Constitution. Today we are honouring individuals who walked the extra mile to improve the lot of humanity and have contributed in elevating our country to great heights among other nations,” Zuma said.
Who is Kaizer Motaung
Kaizer Motaung Snr was born on 16 October 1944 in Orlando East, Soweto.
Affectionately known by his nickname “Shintsha Guluva”, Motaung is a titan of the sport of football in South Africa.
Motaung kicked off his incredible football career with Orlando Pirates at the age of 16. He entered the arena of international football in 1968, when Atlanta Chiefs founder and owner, Dick Cecil and former West Ham United player Phil Woosnam recruited him after team trials held in Zambia.
Motaung made his North American debut for the Atlanta Chiefs as a substitute in a friendly game against Manchester City, scoring two goals in the process.
He continued to play superbly throughout the season, finally scoring 16 goals in 15 matches, making him the top scorer in the league that season.
An honoured player
He gained a place on the North American Soccer League’s (NASL’s) All Star Team. Motaung also won rookie of the year.
When Motaung returned to South Africa he decided to start his own professional soccer team and named his club Kaizer Chiefs after himself and his former NASL team.
Early setbacks and opposition notwithstanding, Motaung succeeded in assembling a great mix of veterans and talented rookies.
Kaizer Chiefs attracted a large following and soon became a force.
The club eventually became the most successful team in South Africa, winning more than 78 trophies and gaining an estimated 14 million supporters throughout the country.
Motaung has played an important role in South African soccer administration, having served in both National Soccer League (NSL) and South African Football Association (SAFA) executives.
In addition, he co-founded with Irvin Khoza the South African Premier League (PSL) in 1996, which helped bring more sponsors and money into South African professional soccer.
He still serves as a member of the PSL Board of Governors, manages Kaizer Chiefs and serves on SAFA’s executive committee. He also assisted South Africa’s 2010 Soccer World Cup Bid Committee; he was a member of the delegation to the FIFA head office in Zurich that won the bid.
Can Kaizer Chiefs end their trophy drought?
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