Kaizer Chiefs hosted South African sprinter and Olympic silver medallist Akani Simbine at the Chiefs village on Thursday, where the longtime Amakhosi fan spoke of the honour of being able to travel to the Club’s headquarters.

Simbine revealed to the Chiefs players he chatted with after training that he has “driven past here many times and I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to visit Chiefs. I have been a Chiefs fan since I was a little kid and Amakhosi have been in my blood for as long as I can remember.”

Simbine also passed on some words of motivation to the Chiefs players adding, “Coming here and getting to the point where I am one of the fastest men in the world, is a story of consistency, drive, and growth. I have missed out on successes by miniscule things but we go back and look at how we can get better even by 0.1 or 0.2 percent”.

He continued, “As a professional sportsman I am inspired by the Chiefs team and I hope that I can inspire them with my story to keep on pushing and keep on making your dreams become a reality. We need to the best we can.”

Amakhosi sporting director, Kaizer Motaung Jr. spoke glowingly of Simbine’s work ethic and successes.

“For us it is a pleasure to host an athlete who has worked hard and achieved on a global level. We appreciate him taking time out to come here to motivate and interact with our players”.

Kaizer Chiefs marketing director, Jessica Motaung was also pleased to have had the opportunity to host Simbine.

“Akani is an inspiration to many of us at Chiefs. To have him as a fan is an honour for the Club. It has taken time to get him here and we are delighted to have hosted him. Our players can draw great inspiration from him,” she said.

Motaung further explained Amakhosi are always looking to interact with athletes from different sporting codes, adding, “Having him visit us is part of our drive to create strategic relationships with sports personalities and teams from different codes to share ideas and grow our relations with them.”

Chiefs defender, Dillan Solomons spoke of his admiration for Simbine.

“I am a huge fan of athletics, and of Akani in particular,” he said, “Over the years I have watched how he worked harder to get better and never let disappointment overtake hm. Personally, I take a lot from him and what he has achieved.”

Simbine, who at one time had ambitions of becoming a professional footballer before turning to athletics, holds special admiration for former Kaizer Chiefs players, Doctor Khumalo, Siyabonga Nomvethe and the late Emmanuel ‘Scara’ Ngobese.

The silver medallist at last year’s Paris Olympics in the 4x100m relay will be at the FNB Stadium on 1 February to support the Glamour Boys in the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates.