Kaizer Motaung
 |
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 October 1944[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Soweto,South Africa | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Orlando Pirates | |||
| 1968–1971 | Atlanta Chiefs | 63 | (32) |
| 1974–1975 | Denver Dynamos | 35 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kaizer MotaungOIS(born 16 October 1944) is a formerSouth Africanassociation footballplayer and founder ofKaizer Chiefs FC,of which he is chairman and managing director. He was nicknamed "Chincha Guluva".
Early life
[edit]Born in theOrlando Eastsection ofSoweto,Motaung first played professional football at the age of 16, for theOrlando Pirates FC.[1]
His entry into international football occurred in 1968, when Atlanta Chiefs founder and owner,Dick Cecil,and formerWest Ham UnitedplayerPhil Woosnam,who was manager of theAtlanta Chiefsfranchise in the then-recently formedNorth American Soccer League(NASL), recruited Motaung after team trials inZambia.[2]
NASL career
[edit]Despite struggling to come to terms with the weather and overcoming injury, Motaung made his North American debut for the Atlanta Chiefs as a substitute in a friendly game againstManchester City,scoring two goals in the process. He continued to play brilliantly for the rest of the season, scoring sixteen goals in fifteen matches, making him the top scorer in the league that season. As a result of this achievement, he was voted "Rookie of the Year" and gained a place on the NASL's All Star Team. In 1975, he returned to the NASL to play two seasons with theDenver Dynamos.[citation needed]
Kaizer Chiefs
[edit]When Motaung returned to his home country in 1970, he decided to start his own professional soccer team. Motaung named his club "Kaizer Chiefs"after himself and his former NASL team.[3]Another South African,Jomo Sono,also a former player for Orlando Pirates, joined an NASL sideNew York Cosmosin 1977. He returned to form his own professional soccer team which he namedJomo Cosmosafter himself and his former NASL team, theNew York Cosmos.Jomo Cosmos was however relegated in the 2011/12 edition of the South AfricanPremier Soccer League.
Despite early setbacks and opposition, Motaung succeeded in assembling a good mix of veterans and talented rookies and the club soon became a force to be reckoned with. The Kaizer Chiefs soon had a large following.[citation needed]
Within a short time, the Kaizer Chiefs became the most successful team in South Africa, winning more than 78 trophies and gaining an estimated fourteen million supporters throughout the country. Indeed, it is often jokingly stated that Kaizer Chiefs do not really play any away matches, as their supporters always outnumber those of the home team.
One of Kaizer Chiefs' biggest achievements was winning theAfrican Cup Winners' Cupin 2001.
Football administrator
[edit]Motaung has also been active in South African football administration, having served on both the National Soccer League (NSL) andSouth African Football Association(SAFA) executives.[citation needed]
In addition, Motaung co-founded (with Orlando Pirates'Irvin Khoza) theSouth African Premier League(PSL) in 1996, which helped bring more sponsors and money into South African professional football.[citation needed]
Motaung currently still serves as a member of the PSL's Board of Governors, while also still running Kaizer Chiefs and being on SAFA's executive committee. He has also indicated that he would accept a position with theConfederation of African Football(CAF) or on world football's governing body,FIFA.[citation needed]
Motaung was voted 73rd in theTop 100 Great South Africansin 2004. He also assisted South Africa's 2010 World Cup Bid Company and was a member of the delegation that went to the FIFA head office inZürichto be declared the winning bid. Subsequently, he was also appointed as a member of the local organising committee for the 2010 event. Also in 2004, Motaung was given the Entrepreneurial Leadership Award byHenley Management College, South Africa.
In February 2005 it was announced that Motaung would join the board ofPrimedia Limitedas anon-executive director.Primedia is South Africa's largest private media holding company and owns 40% of Kaizer Chiefs. He has also served as a director on the boards of many other companies such as Royal Beechnut, Simba, New Age Beverages and Get Ahead.[citation needed]
Awards and recognition
[edit]Motaung was appointed a member of South Africa'sOrder of Ikhamanga,Silver class.[1]Kaizer was also awarded a honary doctorate in 2022.
References
[edit]- ^abc"Kaizer Motaung, Order of Ikhamanga in Silver".The Presidency, Republic of South Africa. Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2014.Retrieved11 March2015.
- ^"Chairman - Kaizer Motaung".Kaizer Chiefs.Retrieved24 December2018.
- ^Morgan, Brad (October 2008)."Kaizer Motaung: Mr Kaizer Chiefs".SouthAfrica.info. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved26 October2009.
- 1944 births
- Living people
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- Atlanta Chiefs players
- Denver Dynamos players
- South African men's soccer players
- South African expatriate men's soccer players
- Men's association football forwards
- South African soccer managers
- Orlando Pirates F.C. players
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Soccer players from Soweto
- Kaizer Chiefs F.C. non-playing staff
- South African expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga