Chiefs Celebrate Kaizer’s 75th Birthday
Kaizer Chiefs founder and managing director Kaizer Motaung celebrates his 75th birthday today.
The well-respected Motaung was born in Orlando East‚ Soweto‚ on 16 October 1944 and grew up in Phefeni, Soweto.
“Chincha Guluva” as the Chairman of Kaizer Chiefs is known has played a critical role in the growth of South African football, has from young hopeful to professional player, to club owner, to Mzansi football royalty over the course of his lifetime.
Motaung‚ who also answers to the nicknames ’Bra K’, formed southern Africa’s most popular club in January 1970 and the side has become an institution that is followed all over the world.
Chiefs’ fiercest rivals Orlando Pirates claim him as one of their own as he was recruited to the Bucs as a 16-year-old hence the hotly contested Soweto Derby between the two giants of South African football.
Motaung combined his first name with his former club Atlanta Chiefs to create the name Kaizer Chiefs.
The first years of Chiefs were not easy. There were many who didn’t want the rookies to succeed. But most of the original players believed in Motaung’s vision of founding a club that would be run professionally.
With the help of various business partners and some personal capital, the club soon became a force to be reckoned with, winning the first league title in 1974.
Since its foundation in 1970, Kaizer Chiefs chairman Motaung guided his club to 68 official trophies and more than 90 trophies in total.
Kaizer Chiefs, the club gave a heartfelt birthday message in celebration of Motaung’s birthday.
“As he celebrates 75 years on earth‚ we as the family of Amakhosi wish our Chairman‚ Kaizer ‘Boy-Boy’ Motaung a blessed day.
“We thank him for all he has done and continues to do for the club and football in South Africa‚ the continent and the world.
‘Thank you for creating and building a legacy for many generations to come. Your life continues to be exemplary.
“We love you and enjoy this special day‚ Ntate Motaung!” Kaizer Chiefs said on their website.
Winning so many trophies since Chiefs’ founding is certainly not a result of being lucky a few times.
Instead, the club’s success is the result of hard work based on a vision to continuously improve and to do things better than the opponents.
Or, as Kaizer Motaung often says: “Luck is a by-product of hard work.”
Chiefs players current and former united in wishing their illustrious chairman a diamond jubilee.
By Gerald Dandah
