Posted in News on Dec 16, 2006.
Gleeson, the African correspondent for World Soccer profiles, the South African league, as well as mentions a number of leading figures in the South African game, in the December edition of the monthly publication.
Gleeson added the Chiefs MD and Coach to a profile on the movers and shakers in South Africa, which includes the likes of SA 2010 LOC members Dr Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan, PSL CEO Trevor Phillips, Mamelodi Sundowns Boss Patrice Motsepe and former Bafana Bafana coach and Jomo Cosmos owner Jomo Sono.
In his article Gleeson says of the Chiefs MD Kaizer Motaung “the dapper owner of Kaizer Chiefs and a powerful force in the FA and Premier Soccer League. The former top player built up Chiefs from virtually nothing to be the country’s best supported club”.
Of The Amakhosi’s German coach Gleeson wrote “The German coach who has been in charge of Kaizer Chiefs since last year, turned down an offer from Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld to take up the post and his arrival raised the South African Leagues profile”.
Commenting after hearing the praise lauded upon by Gleeson Ernst Middendorp said “as a coach you hope that you can be of benefit and help people advance themselves wherever in the world you may land up. What Mark said makes me feel very appreciated. My hope is that, as long a I am in South Africa, I want to help Chiefs and the game of soccer grow in this wonderful country.
In the December issue of World Soccer there is a picture of a gleaming Ernst Middendorp handing over a jersey to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, with the kind plaudits been lauded upon him in the international media. The Chiefs coach and his team will be happy with the knowledge that their recent achievements, winning the ABSA Cup and SAA Supa 8 trophies, along with their preseason Vodacom Challenge Final win over current English Premier League Leaders Manchester United, has brought them much appreciated international recognition.
Chiefs will be looking towards cementing their place as the most loved team in the country, and their fast growing international popularity when they face Maritzburg United at Vodacom Loftus in Tshwane, which incidentally was the site where they notched up a famous victory over Alex Ferguson’s team in July. The Amakhosi will be looking to repeat that memorable victory in July with a win against Kosta Papic’s team on Sunday afternoon.