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The Soweto Love Affair….


In conversation with Jan Sehlapelo, an active member of Diepsloot Kaizer Chiefs supporters’ branch. He unpacks how his love for the Soweto giants came about.

 

By Kgothatso Malepe


Jan describes the atmosphere during his first time at the stadium as electrifying and exciting. Until that one fateful day in 1992 where team of his of heart was facing Wits University, Jan had watched Kaizer Chiefs matches on a black and white television back at his home in a small village called Spitzkop, Limpopo. "In my village, it was only my family that had a tv, black and white television. So people would gather to watch games, especially when Chiefs was playing". His Soweto giants love story is an interesting one, it is one that was derived out of a challenge with childhood friends. He explains that most of his friends were smitten by Moroka Swallows and Witbank Aces so he thought he should add a dash of more Soweto flavour to the crew. The love affair with Iwisa Kaizer Chiefs grew stronger when he was watching the famous and loved Soweto Derby, he points out that there were two Pirates players who kept on fouling Teenage Dladla and felt really sorry for him.

 

Looking at Chiefs fanbase today, it is evident that during the 80s and 90s the club was a force and serial victors. I can safely say that everyone loves being associated with winning, therefore winning in the history of the PSL Cup Kings is the only thing that makes it make sense why they have the largest fanbase in the PSL to date. Jan says be it as it may that Chiefs was a pain to many clubs in the 80s and early 90s, Arcadia Fluoride and Durban City were a real threat to the giants and as for African Wanderers? They would always have their way with Kaizer Chiefs and that really stirred some trouble in paradise for him.

 

Exactly 30 years later Jan finds himself in a position of privilege whereby watching the team that snatched his heart as a young boy at the stadium has become a norm for him. By far he has completely lost count of the games he has attended both home and away. Whenever new kit is revealed for a season, he is always among the thousands of usual suspects who purchase first, you probably wonder why am i saying thousands? Well Kaizer Chiefs has millions of fans all over the country, I do not think Chiefs knows such a thing as 'home ground advantage' fan wise because their fans are always eager to show up at every stadium the club plays at.

Among a pool of players that Chiefs secured their signatures, his namesake Jan "Malombo" Lechaba and Wellington Manyathi remain Jan's all-time favourite players. He says currently his favourite player is the Tembisa born Midfielder Themba Zwane who plays for the DSTV Premiership champions, he reminds him of the former Kaizer Chiefs player Albert Bwalya. The 1989 Kaizer Chiefs of Chippa Molatedi who wore jersey no 6, is one squad that Jan Sehlapelo will forever hold close to his heart. 

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