Alex academy not ‘shaking’ it up as yet
ALEXANDRA - The chairman of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association Maisha Molepo has clarified the story around the renaming of their football academy.
The chairman of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association, Maisha Molepo has clarified the story around the renaming of their football academy.
Molepo said they have not renamed the academy as yet after the late Alex football master, Isaac ‘Shakes’ Kungwane as reported in Alex News (‘Academy shakes it up’ week ending 27 June.
“We are currently locked in negotiations with the family on this score and have not taken a decision as yet to rename the academy,”said Molepo.
“What has appeared in newspapers are just the speculations that are doing the rounds. Yes, we have tabled a proposal to rename the academy in honour of this football giant of Alexandra, but a decision has not been taken and the academy has not been renamed as yet.”
He said once negotiations with the family had been finalised and the renaming agreed to by all parties involved, an announcement would be made.
Molepo said the academy had intentions to rename the Alex Football Academy after Kungwane with the permission from the family, as stated at the Memorial service.
“We had written a letter to the Kungwane family but I subsequently received a telephone call from Aaron Kungwane [the late Shakes’ brother] saying the association and the academy should not be involved with the Shakes Academy that was proposed by Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, as someone has already been assigned by the family to run with it.
“We therefore would like to inform the public out there that we honour and respect the decision [of the family] with both hands and [from now on] we are not going to be involved in this matter. We are going to continue operating our academy as Alex Football Academy under the auspices of the association, [and wish the family] the best [in all their endeavours],” Molepo said.
