With each passing day, the patriotic Motsepe family are leaving their footprints on the South African football landscape.
On Wednesday morning, a few hours before part of the national women's football team Banyana Banyana was due to fly out to New Zealand, the Motsepe Foundation generously paid a few million rands towards the players' World Cup package.
The Motsepe Foundation’s million-rand gift followed an SOS call a few hours earlier by the SAFA president Danny Jordaan and Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa.
They were desperately trying to find funds to appease the Banyana team. The players felt that despite the massive windfall of R580 000 from FIFA, their national federation should also be contributing to their World Cup package.
This show of generosity was the latest example of Motsepe's goodwill to local football.
Last year, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) lost the GladAfrica sponsorship for the First Division Championship league. Irvin Khoza made a call to Patrice Motsepe and hours later the problem was solved.
The First Division Championship league had a new sponsor, the Motsepe Foundation.
At the time he accepted the sponsorship, Khoza said after he appealed to the foundation for support, the confirmation followed at short notice. Khoza thanked Motsepe for contributing to the sustainability and promotion of South African football.
Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the co-founder of the Motsepe Foundation recently reminded the media of the company’s contribution to local football.
“We have over the years supported football,” said Precious Moloi-Motsepe.
“l had provided thousands of jobs. It has contributed to the improvement in living conditions and standards of living of the poor and marginalised in the football community. The work we do is loved by millions of our people.“
Beyond the Motsepe Foundation Championship, the Motsepe sponsorship extends to the second and third divisions and is known as the ABC Motsepe League.
The Motsepe Foundation also launched the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, and has attracted more than 5 000 schools annually.
It is the biggest school football tournament in the country, and the foundation has attracted additional sponsors (Sanlam) for the tournament.
A most impressive Motsepe contribution to the development of the game in South Africa has been the way the family has run the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club. The club has just won the PSL Premiership for the sixth consecutive season.
The club has also been hugely impressive in Africa and has already won the CAF Champions League.
Their women’s team have been equally impressive, having won the CAF Women’s Champions League. They made African history by becoming the winners of the first-ever CAF Women's Champions League after beating Ghanaian side Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in Cairo, two seasons ago.
This conquest allowed Sundowns to join Spanish side Barcelona as the only football clubs to win the men's and women's Champions League titles on their respective continents.
@Herman_Gibbs
IOL Sport