Kaizer Chiefs marketing manager Jessica Motaung says the club can take lessons from the Springboks victory in the Rugby World Cup.
Motaung was remarking as the rugby champions wrapped up their trophy parade at the home of Amakhosi, the FNB Stadium on Thursday.
The Springboks successfully defended the World Cup they won in Tokyo, Japan in 2019 after they defeated the All Blacks of New Zealand 12-11 in Paris last week.
The nail-biting final displayed the kind of courage and determination that the Springboks have – something that is seriously lacking in local football circles.
Guard of honour
Amakhosi players, officials and technical team members gathered at the stadium to give the Boks a guard of honour as they emerged from the tunnel.
After a disastrous start to the season under former coach Molefi Ntseki, Chiefs are rooted on position 10 on the log with a mere 11 points.
They have three wins and five losses since the season started in August.
The Carling Knockout first-round exit resulted in Ntseki getting the boot and Cavin Johnson, who had a baptism of fire against Golden Arrows last week, taking over the reins.
Johnson has a chance to redeem himself when his charges cross swords with cellar-dwellers Cape Town Spurs midweek.
Spurs shocked football lovers when they beat Orlando Pirates 2-1 on Wednesday to record their first victory in nine matches.
After Spurs, Amakhosi will face the Buccaneers in the Soweto derby on Saturday. Chiefs have somewhat lost their shine and the fearsome aura the club carried for many years.
Eight years of trophy drought
In fact, they have become a laughing stock, having now gone eight years without winning a single trophy.
“We want to thank the Springboks for uniting the nation and reminding us that if we work together, and if we go through the challenges together, we can achieve big things,” said Motaung.
“We brought them home, we brought them to the home of champions, we welcomed them, they deserve to be here.
“As a club, there’s so many lessons that we can take forward – not only Chiefs but other PSL [Premier Soccer League] clubs as well.
“The Springboks have shown that with planning and implementing, nothing can stop you.
“The passion that they have shown in each and every match they played was just unbelievable, our players should learn from that.
“The entire Kaizer Chiefs are happy for the Boks and we say congratulations to them.”
