“I feel very privileged and humbled,” former Kaizer Chiefs captain Neil Tovey commented after having accepted the Chairman’s Award from Kaizer Motaung. “I am very honoured by the occasion.”

Tovey and Stuart Baxter both received the Chairman’s Award at the Kaizer Chiefs Awards function, which was held at Midrand’s Vodaworld on Wednesday evening.

“Of course, Neil doesn’t need an introduction,” Amakhosi Chairman Motaung said when handing this prestigious award to the legendary defender. “His deeds while wearing the Chiefs jersey speak for themselves.”

‘Mokoko’, as he was nicknamed, arrived at the Amakhosi in 1990 at the age of 27, joining his older brother Mark as a midfielder and taking over Mike Mangena’s number 9 jersey.

It took him six months to get accepted by the sometimes hard-to-please Kaizer Chiefs supporters when his brilliant goal against Jomo Cosmos proved to be the match winner.

In 1992, Neil took over the captaincy from Howard Freeze. That’s also when Chiefs started to lose players to Europa, with Lucas Radebe, Fani Madida, Shoes Moshoeu, Ace Khuse, Mark Williams and Doctor Khumalo all leaving.

Tovey, however, proved to be the mainstay, helping youngsters like Thabo Mooki and Thabang Lebese to bloom.

It was French coach Philippe Troussier who moved Mokoko to the back. It proved to be a masterstroke, thanks to Tovey’s ability to read the game and his leadership skills. He left Chiefs in 1999. Remarkably, his last two touches of the ball in the Amakhosi jersey resulted in a goal.

Before joining the Amakhosi in 1990, Tovey played for Durban City (1981-1985) and AmaZulu (1986-1989). Tovey gained 52 caps for the South African national team, captaining Bafana 29 times, and led the side to victory at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Kaizer Chiefs is a huge Brand,” said a slightly emotional Tovey in a word of thanks, “one of the biggest in the world. It’s fabulous to see how Kaizer Motaung built Kaizer Chiefs to what it is today.”

“When I came to Chiefs in 1990, those were still the years of isolation with no international football. Playing for the Amakhosi was the biggest a footballer could achieve in South Africa. I lived my dream by playing for the Club. I hope that the Brand will continue to grow.”

Tovey also had a word of advice for the Amakhosi players: “You had a brilliant season, winning trophies and beating numerous records. However, now you will have to start afresh next season. On the other hand, there is no reason that you can’t do it again or even improve on what you have achieved this season. It all depends on how hungry you are as a player and as a team. That hunger to win more trophies.”