Chairman Kaizer Motaung pays tribute to Mokoena

The Chairman Kaizer Motaung has reacted with shock to the news of the passing of Free State Stars Chairman, Mike Mokoena. In paying his tribute to the man he remembers fondly and calls him a dear friend. “The news of Bra Mike’s passing has come as a shock to me,” says Motaung. “I have known Mr Mike Mokoena for many years as the Chairman of Free State Stars Football Club. He was also there during the beginnings of the NSL. Football has lost a soldier and one of the longstanding members of the Executive Committee.

“Bra Mike was a humble person. He was always jovial and in high spirits. I cannot comprehend how his family is going to come to terms with this magnitude of a loss. My condolences go to the Mokoena family and friends. His wife Ausi Joyce Mokoena must be the hardest hit in this sorrowful moment. She has walked the long journey and supported Bra Mike through and through. I trust the family will be consoled by the catalogue of memories that Bra Mike has left behind.

“His club, Ea Lla Koto (Free State Stars), brought pride and joy in Qwaqwa, Bethlehem and surrounds. Tirelessly, Bra Mike kept football alive in that region. The region benefited immensely from his club. He was not only a football person but an astute businessman. Ea Lla Koto galvanised the economy in that region, and credit must duly go to Bra Mike and his family for their undying spirit.

“Personally, I will miss our bilateral interactions. I will miss the encouraging dialogues we held whenever we met or in regular telephone conversations. We remained friends albeit fierce foes on the field of play. I thought it was befitting for Free State Stars to reward Bra Mike when they lifted the 2018 Nedbank Cup. Bra Mike deserved the trophy as a reward for his service to football. I will miss him dearly.”

In conclusion, Motaung says: “I trust that the family will find solace in the Almighty. As I borrow from Isaiah 57:1-2 reading from the Good Book, “The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”

“On behalf of my family and Kaizer Chiefs fraternity I wish to extend my sympathies and deepest heartfelt condolences to Ausi Joyce and family, relatives, Free State Stars FC and friends.”

Re na le tumelo ya hore moya wa hae o tla robala ka kgotso.