Posted in News on May 21, 2006.
The game played in pouring rain saw Chiefs survive an early onslaught to eventually beat Pirates via penalty kicks; this after ninety minutes plus another half an hour of extra time could not separate the two teams.
According to the Chiefs captain Nzama it was the unfamiliar voice on the other side of the phone line that ultimately helped give Chiefs the extra motivation to push past Pirates in a dash to ABSA Cup glory.
Nzama explains “just after our team talk on Saturday morning, Bobby Motaung came to me and said that some one wanted to talk to me, he handed me the phone and the voice on the other side said Cyril this is TATA”.
A surprised and speechless Amakhosi captain was truly caught off side as he continues further “he than said its Nelson Mandela on the phone at which point I went cold, he wished us luck and he told me that he had also phoned the Pirates captain to wish him all the best”.
With the former South African president taking time out to wish Chiefs luck did a lot to further strengthen the grip the legendary statesman has had on shaping the way Cyril leads The Amakhosi into battle every week.
“I have always admired him as a person on whom to base the way I conduct myself and on Saturday my admiration of him was confirmed” said Nzama. When asked whether he got to find out who Madiba was quietly rooting for on Saturday Nzama said “he did tell me that he has a special soft spot for Chiefs and he always has had a special love for The Amakhosi”.
After ending the call with MADIBA Nzama called up the rest of the team to his room and told passed on the message to the rest of the team.
With the ABSA Cup now part of Chiefs luggage as they head back to Johannesburg triumphantly team manager Bobby Motaung has confirmed that The Amakhosi will make a special visit in the week to a special man. Motaung said “we are trying to set up a visit to Mr Mandela’s home in Houghton so that we can present him with the ABSA Cup his words were the extra tonic the guys needed.
