“Happy birthday Kaizer Chiefs,” says George Maluleka, who is also celebrating his own birthday today. “It’s a special and big Club, one of the biggest on the African continent.”

Today is the 46th birthday of Kaizer Chiefs. The Club was founded on Wednesday, 7 January 1970 by Kaizer Motaung, who is still the Chairman.

The Amakhosi midfielder is quite a bit younger, being born on 7 January 1989. He joined Chiefs in 2013.

“My first training session with Amakhosi was on my birthday, on 7 January 2013,” Maluleka vividly remembers with a broad smile on his face, “and my first game was against Mamelodi Sundowns.”

The two sides played to a goalless draw at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld in 2013.

The 27-year-old supported Chiefs from a young age: “Doctor Khumalo, Thabo Mooki and Ace Khuse are still my heroes.”

In 2015, Chiefs’ first opponent, like two years ago, will also be the Brazilians. Amakhosi host Sundowns in an Absa Premiership fixture at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, 9 January 2016 (kick-off is at 20:15).

Various famous people are born on 7 January, including the American actor Nicolas Cage and the English racing driver Lewis Hamilton, who is the 2008, 2014 and 2015 Formula One World Champion.

Tickets for the clash between Amakhosi and the Brazilians are sold at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers outlets nationwide. The cost of a stand ticket is R40 (R10 for children under the age of 12) and R30 for a parking ticket.