The Club that Keeps on Giving: Sundowns Continues to Extend its Hand to Communities

THE CLUB THAT

KEEPS ON

GIVING

Officials from PSL and MTN joined The Chairman, Trott Moloto, Kennedy Mweene and Themba Zwane

SUNDOWNS CONTINUES TO EXTEND ITS HAND TO COMMUNITIES

Author: John Aliu

Current MTN 8 Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, recently joined forces with the Premier Soccer League, Boots For Africa, and the competition sponsor MTN, to mark this year’s edition of the ‘Goals for Charity initiative’.

Themba Zwane and Sibusiso Vilakazi dancing the Haka Motorokisi with school kids in Hammanskraal

The Corporate Social Investment (CSI) program was launched by MTN in 2018 to complement the good work that was already being done through the MTN 8 Legacy Programme, which aims at promoting soccer clinics and donating football gear and accessories to schools across rural communities in South Africa.

As the name of the initiative suggests, the number of goals that were scored in the tournament would have a positive benefit for local charities. Across the 11-week tournament, MTN donated R20,000 for each goal with half a million Rand raised by the end of the tournament which featured 25 goals in total.

As the winners of this season’s MTN 8 Cup, Mamelodi Sundowns was given the opportunity to decide where their share of the Goals for Charity funds would be donated. The Club decided to donate their allocation of the money to Boots For Africa, a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) that provides soccer boots and equipment to children who can't afford to pay for sports equipment.

Sundowns Academy Coaches and Players preparing for a soccer clinic

With the help of Sundowns first team players such as Peter Shalulile, Themba Zwane, Haashim Domingo, Sphelele Mkhulise, Lesedi Kapinga, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Kennedy Mweene, and CAF Women's Champions League winners Zanele Nhlapho and Rhoda Mulaudzi, several young footballers from the community of Hammanskraal in northern Gauteng were gifted with soccer balls and Puma soccer boots and a surprise football clinic with the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy Coaches.

Top Goal Scorer Peter Shalulile handing over boots

Our Namibian star, Peter Shalulile, spoke about the importance of the day, “It is a great initiative undertaken by the league and the sponsors to bring us to this community. Some of us come from similar backgrounds and to be here gives me great fulfilment to see these young kids smiling.”

Shalulile further commented with gratitude, “I am grateful to the club for being part of this initiative that is aimed at giving back to the young ones. It is a small world and these youngsters of today could be donning the colours of the club in the near future.”

Gavin Hendry, the Chairman of Boots For Africa also shared what the day symbolised and meant to him, “To see these young ones enjoying the boots given to them is big for the community and the kids. Also seeing the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy Coaches sharing their knowledge was a great addition and I could tell that the kids were absorbing all the knowledge. We would love to see more of these clinics taking place.”

Nonhlanhla Nkosi who is the head of Brand Marketing and Sponsorship at the Premier Soccer League also touched on the success of the event, “The day went well, thanks to our partners MTN, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Boots for Africa for an incredible day. The kids were happy and they also interacted with the Champions. The initiative started in 2018 and it has been a great CSI programme and we thank everyone that came through for this event."

Mamelodi Sundowns understands the importance of giving back to our communities, being an advocate for change and giving hope to our future generations.

The club focuses on giving back in three key areas: football development, youth and education.

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