Master of ceremony, Mr Ross Smith and the Nike management team, distinguished guests, colleagues at Kaizer Chiefs, ladies and gentlemen.

We are here today to witness yet another historic moment in the history of Kaizer Chiefs. You shall have noticed that both the Nike and the Kaizer Chiefs brands were launched almost simultaneously in the early seventies.

In a way when one looks at the history there are similarities in that both come from humble beginnings. It is also co-incidental that today marks that anniversary of the launch of our main sponsor Vodacom.

Our first meeting with Nike was six years ago shortly after their launch in the country. Due to time constraints and the kind of pace at which things were happening we found ourselves settled in another nest. Nevertheless, we are happy that today the partnership has finally been sealed.

The video we just saw brings back some old memories. How things have changed since the early seventies. Looking back to where both brands came from and where we are today, bares testimony to the fact that through perseverance and hard work, success is achievable.

Kaizer Chiefs Football Club has achieved tremendous success against all odds. There were sceptics who thought that we would never become a giant, but we proved them all wrong.

Today we pride ourselves as having the biggest sporting brand in the country and one of the biggest in the continent, as such one of our long-term objectives is to become a truly global brand. Forging ties with Nike and their reputation for bringing unmatched technology to sports kit and innovative marketing takes us a step closer to our goals.

The Nike brand associates itself with winners, when you think of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Barcelona to name a few. The "Just do it" slogan is both motivational and inspirational and complements our famous "Love and Peace" slogan.

We commend Nike for having had the foresight in joining forces with us and thereby making a meaningful contribution in the development of soccer.

Through the supply of the huge Nike product line we hope that this partnership will benefit our supporters immensely and ensure that they maintain their position as trend setters in the industry which in turn will help in the marketing of the Nike brand. We look forward to a long lasting mutually beneficial relationship.

In conclusion, I would like at this point in time to take this opportunity to congratulate the Springboks on their new look jersey. With sexy gear like that both the Springboks and Chiefs are bound to beat their opponents even before we take the field.