Posted in News on Sep 14, 2006.
Chiefs recently joined UEFA, SAFA, the United Nations and Nike in pledging their support for the tournament, on Wednesday. The Amakhosi came out for their pre-match warm-up sporting a special t-shirt making public Chiefs’ support for the tournament.
The Homeless World Cup, which sees more than 400 socially marginalized players from 48 countries taking part in the event, will for the first time since its inception in 2003 be played outside of Austria. This year’s event will be held at the Grand Parade in Cape Town from the 24th – 30th September, with a host of Chiefs players attending the event, including coach Ernst Middendorp.
Chiefs’ representatives in the tournament will be in Cape Town on the 25th September as they will be unable to attend the opening ceremony on the 24th September. That is because the Amakhosi will be involved in an SAA Supa8 semifinal against Moroka Swallows in Durban on that day.
Prior to the game against Cosmos, Chiefs for the first time made public their endorsement of the Homeless World Cup, by wearing these specially made t-shirts and will wear them again when they face Bidvest Wits University at the FNB Stadium on the 20th September in a PSL game.
The t-shirts were specially made for Chiefs by the clubs technical sponsor Nike, who are also involved with the Homeless World Cup, and have selected two Chiefs players who are also Nike-sponsored athletes to act as spokesmen for the tournament.
Striker Shaun Bartlett and midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi are the two Chiefs players selected by Nike. In addition Chiefs have sent a group consisting of junior coaches Ntsie Maphike, Ryder Mofokeng and first team goalkeeper Emile Baron to Cape Town.
The trio will travel to the Mother City to conduct a training session with the team also known as Bafowethu (our brothers) who will represent South Africa at the Homeless World Cup; the session will take place on Friday 15th September.