With world Aids day on Saturday five of The Amakhosi’s younger players were out at the Nike concept store in Sandton City on Friday afternoon, as part of Nike’s Aids Awareness programme which was started by the clubs technical sponsor in 2005. Since then each year on the 1st December Chiefs visit the various malls around this time and form part of Nike’s activities leading up to 1st December. With the Telkom Cup Final being played on Saturday Chiefs went out a day early, and were a hit at the shopping centre with many teenagers listening attentively to their message of playing it safe. Mandla Masango who was one of the five Chiefs players who visited the Nike store in Sandton, kept the public entertained with a number of ball tricks which earned him applause from those watching. Other Chiefs players in attendance were Sandile Zuke, Tshepo Bulu, Sihle Mbambo and Bamose Gololo.

Life Not a game

Since it began with its HIV Aids Campaign in 2005 Nike have used the catchy phrase which reads “life is not a game where a condom”, Chiefs have played a huge part in getting the message out especially to the youth market. Mammuso Makhanya Nike’s social responsibility manager was grateful for the role played by the Chiefs players on Friday, in helping Nike in their efforts to educate people on AIDS prevention. Makhanya added “I have been really impressed by these five young men who have done a good job, in handing out pamphlets and talking to the people. As a number of them are in their late teens they can relate to the teenagers who are our target market easily, it is good to see that the Chiefs players are very clued up on Aids and Aids prevention”.

Red at Telkom Final

Like they have done for the past two years on International Aids day The Amakhosi will be wearing red boot laces, to show their support for Nike’s Aids Awareness campaign. In addition Chiefs will take to the field for the warm up wearing special Aids awareness T-Shirts.