Posted in News on Aug 04, 2006.
Maake who has become a very recognizable figure over the past few decades and wants to transfer the passion and love that he has for Chiefs on to those next in line to assume the mantle of fanatical Amakhosi supporter from him.
During the recently completed Vodacom Challenge tournament, Maake with some help from the sponsors Vodacom transported around thirty kids from Tembisa to Loftus Stadium in Tshwane where the final was contested between Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United.
With the Telkom Charity Cup upon us, Maake has decided to open his heart up and when Chiefs take on Sundowns in the second game on Saturday, Maake will be in attendance with another twenty kids from Tembisa. This time around he will be doing it at his own expense as he explains further “Saddam Maake is getting old and these kids need to take over the only way they can do that is by getting to the stadium and creating a bond with the team”.
Chiefs has been close to Maake’s heart for most of his adult life and he feels that it is his duty to afford The Amakhosi’s next crop of supporters the same opportunities he has been given down the years.
“Down the years I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the joys and sorrow but mostly joy behind supporting my favourite team and I want other people to have similar experiences”.
In addition Saddam also started a programme whereby he takes at minimum of four fans with him to the FNB Stadium to watch Chiefs live in action, by doing this Saddam believes that he is further developing the idea in supporters minds that watching a game in a stadium environment is more enjoyable than being at home.
He is optimistic that his endeavours will go a long way towards helping the country when the FIFA World Cup rolls South Africa’s way in four years time as supporters will want to go and watch various countries in action not just Bafana Bafana. He also believes that by taking young kids to Chiefs games he is starting his own kind of youth development programme.
