Kathorus residents want local stadium named after “Tiger”

JOHANNESBURG – The name Jacob “Tiger” Motaung will always resonate with affection in the ears and minds of thousands of his ardent soccer fans and followers around the country for many years to come despite his death from prostate cancer in March this year.

The memory of the legendary former Orlando Pirates soccer star, who first made his debut in the game with the local amateur ranks before joining the “Mighty Bucs” where he later carved his name in the minds of sports followers around the country, still evokes emotions among many sports lovers around the township.

For hundreds more soccer-starved fanatics in his home township of Vosloorus, nothing more than naming the local stadium after their dead hero will help keep his memory alive.

It was in March at the 68-year-old Motaung’s funeral in Vosloorus that the first call to name the local stadium after ‘Tiger” – where the local legend is still affectionately called – was initially mooted.

Paying tribute to their fallen hero, numerous speakers recalled Motaung’s sportsmanship and prowess with pride and emotion.

Many still believe it was “Tiger’s” love for the sport and dedication to soccer that saw him recruit local youths and nurture them through the professional ranks, which many still hail as his best contribution to the development of the game and the local youth in Kathorus.

And now the local branch of the Orlando Pirates Supporters’ Club in the Kathorus area has once again reiterated the call to have the Vosloorus Stadium named after their soccer star and hero.

Scores of Orlando Pirates members at the Vosloorus branch have also suggested that a statue be erected in the township in his honour to keep his memory in the minds of his fans and protégés alive and to acknowledge his contribution to the development of soccer in the township.

Speaking to Kathorus MAIL, the branch chairperson of the supporters’ club in Vosloorus, Moses “Mosenthal” Tshabalala, said the time has come for local fans and supporters to stand up and honour their own heroes and heroines in the township.

“His legacy should not be confined to the memories of his fans and Orlando Pirates followers only, but his legacy as one of the country’s top soccer players should be kept alive and visible for all to see and appreciate,” said Tshabalala.

Tshabalala’s view has been accepted and endorsed by “Tiger’s” family and fans throughout the township.

Motaung’s son, 30-year-old Tshenolo, told Kathorus MAIL he is overwhelmed with emotion and joy, and thanked those who cherish his late father’s memory and contribution to the game.

Tshenolo said the family welcomes any progressive suggestions that would inculcate a commitment to the youths in any of their chosen sporting activities. “I’m lost for words’, he said.

Lucky Simelane, secretary of the Vosloorus Local Football Association, and Sipho Maruping, owner of Exodus Club and the “double champions” of the local tournament Diski Nine, jointly said that honouring Motaung would be the right thing to do since the late player was the first local soccer player to be featured in the national professional soccer league.

“He should be considered a hero in the township as an all-time soccer legend”, echoed the soccer duo in unison during the interview.

Tshabalala, himself a defender of note in his heyday for the now defunct Bushbuck Stars, added the people of Kathorus should take a leaf from the residents of Soweto when it comes to honouring their heroes and heroines.