Football’s ‘gentle giant’ laid to rest
ALEXANDRA – ‘Papa’ discovered some of the hot properties in football today such as Maritzburg United’s Judas Moseamedi.
The late chairman of the now-defunct Pamo United FC, Tom Ntabeng Andrew Monaisa has been described as a ‘gentle giant’.
This was the description of Monaisa by the former secretary-general of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association, Mafika Morajane, when contacted by Alex News about the death of the soccer stalwart.
“I knew him as a man that never minced his words but would only do so when the argument got too heated up so that he calmed tempers. Once the tempers had been calmed, he would gently raise his point again.
“We always fought, even long before I joined the LFA as secretary-general, as we traded accusations after accusations over the poaching of players when he was coach of Asazi Bafana, later changed to Eyethu Sporting and finally Pamo United until ill health forced him to retire from football,” Morajane said.
But because football never breeds enemies but friends for life, Morajane said they could fight today but tomorrow they would be laughing and sharing jokes. ‘That was the man he was. A man who never held grudges despite fighting to the bitter end for what he believed in.”
Monaisa, popularly known as ‘Papa’ in football circles, was born on 7 May 1955 and died on 12 February at the age of 66. He was buried at Waterfall Cemetery in Midrand on 26 February.
Among a host of stars he discovered while still active in football included the current Maritzburg United lethal striker Judas Moseamedi, the man who has lately developed a penchant for the destruction of Kaizer Chiefs as he twice single-handedly annihilated AmaKhosi.
Moseamedi used to play for Pamo United while growing up in Alexandra after moving from his birth place, Tzaneen in Limpopo.
