By Kgomotso Mokoena
Johannesburg – The South African Masters & Legends Football Association (SAMLFA) is bemoaning the numbers and the way in which it is losing its members due to the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the deadly virus arrived on our shores last year, more than half-a-dozen former soccer stars and legends have succumbed to death.
This is a matter of serious concern to SAMLFA members and its president Buddha Mathathe. Some of the most notables who have passed on in recent times are Ryder Mofokeng, Toy Ramosa, Cedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu, Lawrence Chelin and the eccentric administrator Abdul Bhamjee.
“This is a big year and we are supposed to celebrate 25 years since Bafana Bafana won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil. But the rate at which our members are dying is scary and worrisome. “There is a series of events lined up by organisers and Safa to celebrate the big achievement of 1996, and we need to have our legends safe and sound,” said Mathathe.
Organisers are planning to invite an international touring team of football legends from countries such as Italy, Germany, England, France and also from Africa and South America for a three-match series across the country.
The matches will feature the Class of ’96, but not exclusively.
The games will be followed by gala dinners and golf days for business in different provinces.
“Almost every day, we are getting messages of condolences and R.I.P posts. Most of our members are elderly and have underlying diseases. We urge them to stay at home and to follow Covid-19 regulations and protocols because we still need them to contribute to development and grassroots football.
“People must not underestimate the role that the legends and masters are playing in Mzansi football,” Mathathe told Sunday World.
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