African Stars’ chairman Salomo Hei has confirmed that their plan to play Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs in a pre-season match in July is on the cards.
The chairman of the 2023/24 Debmarine Namibia Premiership champions recently paid a courtesy visit to the Kaizer Chiefs Village, where he met the founder of the Soweto-based club Kaizer Motaung and other staff members.
Hei said his visit focused on various aspects, including learning and understanding the principles the team has implemented, and how one of the biggest clubs on the continent has maintained the highest standards of football both on and off the field.
He added that the meeting also aimed at strengthening relationships between the two clubs, with Stars learning from a team like Chiefs and Tanzanian club Young Africans.
Hei emphasised that as the biggest team in Namibia, it is important for Stars to learn and derive strategies from successful teams, and to expand the Stars’ brand to South Africa.
“The purpose of the meeting with Chiefs was to understand the principles they have implemented, and the club’s current position. We paid a courtesy visit, where we met Motaung and Jessica Motaung to understand the strategy of Chiefs, moving forward,” he said.
“What was impressive was how big and massive the club is. They have two training fields for the senior and junior teams, and they have every facility that a football team would need. It’s important for us to understand the journey the club has walked, and how they have advanced. In my eyes, they are a bigger club than any team on the continent in terms of their achievements.”
Hei was appointed as a member of the African Club Association (ACA) late last year, which aims at making clubs more self-sustainable and globally competitive. During the appointment, he mentioned the desire to host or play the Soweto giants in a pre-season match.
African Stars had a successful pre-season campaign last year, where they played matches against various teams from Botswana, such as Gaborone United and Masitaoka.
“Regarding the pre-season match, yes, it is still very much on the cards. Chiefs are playing Young Africans in the Toyota Cup. We would love to host Chiefs. We have a significant number of Namibians in South Africa, and we are looking to expand the Stars’ brand across borders. In terms of collaborations, we are considering player exchange programmes,” he said.
Stars were crowned champions of the Debmarine Namibia Premiership this year for the second time in a row after finishing the league with a total of 64 points. – mkambukwe@nepc.com.na