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Legendary Kaizer Chiefs founding owner and chairperson Kaizer Motaung will have an honorary doctorate in social sciences conferred on him by the University of Cape Town at the university’s graduation ceremony on Friday, July 22.
The university said Motaung would be honoured along with six other recipients.
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Born in Soweto in 1944, the Chiefs supremo started his football career aged 16 when he debuted for Orlando Pirates in the early 1960s.
In 1968, he was recruited to trial for the newly formed Atlanta Chiefs, who played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the US. He impressed at the trials held in Zambia and was immediately snapped up by Atlanta Chiefs.
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Blessed with a mesmerising left-foot, Motaung scored goals for fun in the US and was crucial to Atlanta’s victory in the league championship that year.
After scoring 16 goals in 16 matches and becoming the top goal scorer in the league, the speedy forward was also voted on to the NASL All-Star Team.
After the 1969 season, Motaung returned to South Africa and went on to form Kaizer XI, which was later called Kaizer Chiefs – drawn from his name and Atlanta Chiefs.
Motaung went on to turn Kaizer Chiefs into one of South Africa’s most successful and followed clubs. His contribution to national football has been and continues to be invaluable.
