This under-12 tournament was a second leg of Radebe’s Benefit celebrations

following an exciting match between the Lucas Radebe All Stars against the SA Invitation

XI in Durban last weekend.

Chiefs, hosts for this soccer festival, supplied development coaches who helped with

the training of the children. Former Amakhosi stars Ntsie Maphike and Doctor Khumalo gave

a helping hand to their former colleague.

Lucas Radebe is no stranger to the June 16 1976 youth uprising in Soweto. Although he

was 7 at the time the reality of growing up in a four-room house with ten brothers and

sisters was very real to him. Radebe's childhood and teens coincided with the most

traumatic period in the South African history.

As

the anti-apartheid struggle intensified and violence in the townships escalated he like

most young people at the time became involved in the student movement. Out of concern for

his safety, his parents sent him away to Bophuthatswana, one of the pseudo-independent

homelands in the northwest of the country. There Radebe was to train to be a teacher but

he quickly became bored by his studies and took up soccer to fill his time. This is what

started him on his path to being the great icon and soccer legend that he is today.

Radebe’s passion for the youth of South Africa and sport is the motivating factor

behind his decision to donate all of his benefit year funds to charity. Lucas is a trust

member and active supporter of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation the SOS

Children’s Village and the Starfish Foundation whose mission is to make a difference

in the lives of the most vulnerable members of our society, the children. A Trust Fund, is

also being set up in Feziwe Radebe’s name, and needy Cancer treatment centres around

South Africa will be beneficiaries of funds raised during the Benefit Year.

What they had to say...

Lucas Radebe

It

is a great day for me, the youth and the upcoming generation. At least today there’s

not violence, as it was the case in 1976, we are all in here in the name of the game.

The plan is to have this Youth Day Soccer Tournament as an annual event and it will not

only be about that but charities will also be involved. The Kaizer Chiefs under-17 players

have really done a great job by coming over here to teach the young ones. And the

supporter has also been great from the club as we have Jessica Motaung, Ntsie Maphike and

Doc over here.

Jessica Motaung

It was great for us to be here in Soweto on June 16 on a day that we were celebrating

and also reflecting on our history. This clinics for the youth are for us a way to plough

back into the community and it’s so nice to do that with one of our past stars.

Lucas has contributed tremendously to the Kaizer Chiefs family and more extensively to

his work within Bafana Bafana and just his career overseas as an ambassador to SA. It was

a very good day for us and we are proud of Lucas.

Ntsie Maphike

It was a special day for Lucas celebrating his achievements over the years. This was

also another way of saying thanking to Lucas for his contribution to soccer over the

years.

Doc Khumalo

There’s nothing impossible as long as you stay focused.