Kaizer Chiefs defender Jimmy Tau will be supported by his Amakhosi teammates Shaun Bartlett, Fabian McCarthy, Arthur Zwane and Thabo Mooki on Friday morning when he addresses the congregation at a memorial service to be held for the late Gift Leremi.

The tough as nails midfield combatant Leremi lost his life in a car crash on Monday night, and will be paid tribute to at a memorial service to be held at the Grace Bible Church in Pimville, Soweto.

Tau and Leremi, who left Pirates at the end of last season to join Mamelodi Sundowns, played together at Orlando Pirates for three season, starting in the 2002 – 2003 campaign and ending when Tau transferred to Chiefs at the beginning of the 2005 – 2006 season.

The two players though remained close friends and Tau was overcome with emotion upon hearing about the news of Gift's passing on Monday and as a result was given time off from training and other team activities by Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral.

Lending support

Tau has spent most of the past week at the Leremi family home in Pimville in Soweto where he has been at the side of Gift’s family, which includes his mother, widow Mammelo and two children. Talking to kaizerchiefs.com on Friday morning a more serene looking Jimmy said “I owed it to Gift to be with his family in what has been a very testing and tragic time in their lives. In my heart I know that if it would have been me who passed away Gift would have been the first person to head to my family home in Kimberley, and he would have been at the side of my parents comforting them”.

Getting to grips

While it took him a while to come to terms with the shock and sudden departure of his close friend and confidande Leremi earlier in the week, Jimmy has gradually come to terms with the fact that Leremi has passed on. As he commented “every night this week I have laid in bed looking at the ceiling just thinking of Gift, as the week has progressed the reality has dawned upon me that my pal is no more. It is up to me now to ensure the Gift's legacy remains and try and help his kids achieve what their father could have done, prior to his life being brought to a premature end”.

Tau will make his first public appearance for the week on Saturday when he attends the Nokia defend your street 5 a side tournament in association with Vodacom to be held at the Randburg football club on Saturday. He will be available to sign autographs and talk to fans between 13h00-13h30.

Amakhosi in attendance

Along with the Kaizer Chiefs first team members who will be in attendance at Gift's memorial service there will be a number of other representatives from The Amakhosi who will make the short trip to Pimville for Friday’s service. Chiefs supporters club co-coordinator Cecil Motaung and the club's head of security and logistics Mr. Thami Mayaluza will take time off to pay their respect to Gift. While the Kaizer Chiefs choir will be actively participating in the service, all of the Kaizer Chiefs first team will be in attendance at Gift's funeral service scheduled to take place on Monday.