Dr. Kaizer Motaung’s induction into the South African Hall of Fame, last Thursday – November 9, 2023, revived a conversation we’ve had in our newsroom, for years now, about the need for South African football to have its own Hall of Fame in honour and recognition of those who paved the way for the current crop of contributors in our football. This way, we will be ensuring that their contribution to the Beautiful Game is never lost.
Ideally, people like “Chincha Guluva” shouldn’t have to wait for the SAHOF to be honoured and it is about time we start our own Hall of Fame! This is something that the football fraternity should consider because there is a reason the American entertainment industry regards this as a high form of honour for those who gave their all to the industry. Their basketball and boxing feel the same, hence they have their respective Hall of Fame for all those who contributed to making these sporting codes what they are today. This is a clear indication that these people are mindful of the importance of recording history.
These are people who are very much aware of the need to keep the legacy alive, making sure that those who entertained us, long after they are gone, their names remain relevant. They also use the same names as motivation for the current generation as they give them something to work towards. A typical example is what happened in basketball in February when, NBA (National Basket Association) legendary centre, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, had his extraordinary scoring record broken by Los Angeles Lakers small forward/power forward Lebron James after generation after generation of players came up short. If you missed the excitement that came with Lebron’s record- breaking performance and what followed, then you will be forgiven for not getting the point.
