Sipho Ndzuzo Claims Ownership of Home of Legends Cup Concept, Seeks Compensation

Sipho Ndzuzo, a retired midfielder with a history at Manning Rangers, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Ajax Cape Town, is making headlines with a bold claim regarding the Home of Legends Cup. The tournament, which took place over the weekend at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and was won by Kaizer Chiefs, featured teams like Sundowns, Chippa United, and Golden Arrows. Ndzuzo, however, argues that the idea for the tournament was his, and he is demanding both recognition and compensation for the event.

Ndzuzo alleges that in 2019, he approached the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality with a proposal for a four-team tournament that would feature top PSL clubs like Sundowns, Chiefs, and Chippa United. The retired midfielder followed all the necessary procedures, and in February 2020, he received a letter of support and endorsement from the Municipality. However, Ndzuzo claims that his idea was taken and repurposed under the name “Home of Legends Cup” without his consent.

He explained to KickOff.com: “The Home of Legends Cup concept was taken from me. In 2019, I approached the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality with a proposal for a four-team tournament featuring teams like Sundowns, Chiefs, and Chippa. I followed all necessary processes, and in February 2020, I received a letter of support and endorsement from the Municipality for the project.”

Ndzuzo further accused a former executive director at the Municipality, now working for an agency, of taking his idea and rebranding it. He asserts that the Municipality’s claim of financial instability was a pretext for rolling out the event under a different name, with an increased budget—an amount he believes came from the Municipality’s funds.

The retired footballer also emphasized that the name “Home of Legends Cup” is his registered intellectual property. He insists that it cannot be used without his permission and has taken the matter to the Municipality’s legal team, who have acknowledged the situation but have not yet resolved the issue.

“The Municipality has promised to meet with us, but I don’t understand how someone can claim ownership of a project when they were present during my initial presentation,” Ndzuzo added. “All he did was change the name.”

Ndzuzo is now seeking compensation for the costs he incurred during the proposal process, as well as formal recognition as the creator of the tournament. He is demanding that his contributions be acknowledged in the next edition of the competition.

The idea originally was to name the event the “Friendly City Tournament,” but according to Ndzuzo, it was later changed to the “Home of Legends Cup.” He is still in discussions with his lawyers about the damages and expenses related to presenting the idea and hiring legal services.

As the matter continues to unfold, Ndzuzo’s demands for both compensation and recognition could set a precedent for similar cases in the future, as individuals seek to safeguard their intellectual property within the sports industry.