MEC salutes Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila

MEC for Sport, Thandi Moraka believes Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila’s ability to have won the Nedbank Cup title will help to move sport in the province to a higher level and ensure that provincial teams in all sporting codes raise the Limpopo flag wherever they compete.

The Polokwane-based outfit wrote their names in football history books when they beat their nemesis Chippa United Football Club 1-0 in the final of the Nedbank Cup in Mangaung, Bloemfontein.

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila became the second professional soccer team from the province to win a major Premier Soccer League silverware after Baroka Football Club won the Telkom Knockout Cup in 2018. Speaking at Tshakhuma’s welcoming ceremony at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World on Thursday, Moraka said she salutes all the Tshakhuma players for putting Limpopo on the map.

“We are proud of the team’s achievement, and as the Provincial Government we saw it fit to celebrate this rare achievement.

This achievement will also serve as motivation to other Limpopo-based football clubs that anything is possible.”

She stated that it was important for the department to organise a homecoming ceremony for the teams because they play a pivotal role in their quest of building on efforts of excellence and triumph of the collective sport and recreation community, to further strengthen the local sporting systems and structures to function for better performance in sport.

“The celebration marks another important phase and milestone in our efforts to ensure that our athletes and sport persons in general are motivated to strive for excellence. This day too is a mark of a continuous journey of recognising efforts and sacrifice of all our sport-loving youth in their struggles to break all odds in a mission to succeed.”

“This is a unique function, and it has been deliberately arranged in the hope that the department of Sport continues with the process of ensuring that Limpopo moves swiftly in recognition of its own talent and excellence at all levels of participation,” Moraka concluded.

The Chairperson of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila Football Club, Abram Sello thanked Provincial Government for supporting them and promised that they will continue making them proud.

“We also want to thank the people of Limpopo for praying and supporting us and we promise to bring more trophies home.”

On their way to the finals they knocked out 2020 Nedbank Cup winners, Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows who won the cup in 2009.