announces Western Cape Football Ambassadors
22 March 2007
Whitey Jacobs, the Western Cape Minister for Cultural Affairs and Sport, has
announced the men and women who will be the province's Football Ambassadors.
The 20-strong group includes a rainbow collection of personalities who have
made their mark as soccer players, officials and reporters. The group includes
former Bafana Bafana captain Thabo Mngomeni, ex-Banyana Banyana leader Desiree
Ellis, veteran soccer writer Lennie Kleintjies, and Duncan Crowie, the first
Capetonian to represent Bafana Bafana. The group is Adeeb Abrahams, Farouk
Abrahams, David Byrne, Duncan Crowie, Sergio Dos Santos, Peter du Toit, Desiree
Ellis, Reggie Jantjies, Eric Kombela, Lennie Kleintjies, Sharon Lombard, Roger
Links, Thabo Mngomeni, Portia Mtokwana, Winnie Qhuma, Sugars Qinga, Patrick
Oliphant, Achmat Salie, Mara Sefalane and Joanne Solomons.
Presenting the group at a function held in Stellenbosch on Thursday (22
March) night, MEC Jacobs said, "We are honoured to have you as our Football
Ambassadors. You have given millions of South Africans some magical moments on
the soccer field. Your exploits will live long in our memories. Now, you will
become part of our legacy for 2010 and beyond. We expect you to unite our
province, inspire our people to support sports development, and show our youth
that sport is one answer to crime. We are proud of what you have done and what
you are about to do for your province and your people."
Ellis said it was amazing to be a Football Ambassador. "Being an Ambassador
feels like I'll be playing for South Africa in 2010," she said. Crowie said it
was a privilege and an honour to be involved with 2010.
Biographies of Western Cape Football Ambassadors
Adeeb Abrahams
Club: Battswood FC
Position: Goalkeeper
Honours: Western Province schools, first Western Province Football Board Player
of the Year in 1982, won the award again in 1986, won South African amateur
caps in 1982, 1983 and 1986, was named South African Council on Sport Sportsman
(Sacos) of the Year in 1986, at that time it was the highest honour bestowed on
those playing non-racial sport, first recipient of the South African Soccer
Federation Professional Footballer of the Year award in 1986, and coached
Battswood professional soccer team for six years.
Most memorable moment: Lit the flame of freedom during the South African
Council on Sport Games held in Cape Town in 1986.
Farouk Abrahams
Tel: 072 535 8866
Clubs: Young Lillies FC (amateur), Cape Town Spurs player and captain,
player/coach, Maritzburg United, Jomo Cosmos, Bush Bucks
Position: Goalkeeper
Honours: Won a number of Federation Professional League knockout and league
trophies with Spurs, won three Cup finals in two seasons with Maritzburg
United, Cape Sports Writers' Player of the Year, losing JPS finalist with Bush
Bucks, Federation Professional League Player of the Year, coached Santos
1997/1998, Bafana Bafana goalkeeping coach in 2002 World Cup, also goalkeeping
coach at Ajax Cape Town, Santos and Hellenic. Also represented SA Masters.
David Byrne
Tel: 072 124 8988
Clubs: Atlanta Chiefs, Toronto Blizzards (both in North American Soccer
League), Minnesota Strikers, Baltimore Blasts and Wichita Wings (all Major
Indoor Soccer League, Hellenic
Position: Striker, midfielder, sweeper
Honours: Represented Bafana Bafana 1994. Castle League Player of the Year in
1994, Certificate of Appreciation for Contribution to Professional Sport in
Atlanta, voted one of the best foreign players in Portugal while on loan to
First Division team Belenenses.
Duncan Crowie
Tel: 082 907 2469
Clubs: Glendene United, 18 years as a professional with Santos
Position: Striker
Honours: Represented Bafana Bafana in 1991. South African Soccer Federation
Player of the Year, South African Footballer of the Year, top goal-scorer in
the Federation for five years, Silver Ball Award in the NSL for being voted
third best player in 1991, Silver Boot Award for being second highest
goal-scorer in the NSL, Silver Ball Award for being the second best player in
the NSL in 1992, Players' Player of the Year in 1992. Coached Santos and helped
them to win promotion in 1996, Ajax Cape Town Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004
and 2005. Also represented SA Masters Team
Sergio Lourenco Dos Santos
Tel: 083 675 0271
Clubs: Turned professional with Hellenic aged 17, became captain at age 22,
Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town Spurs, Benoni United
Position: Striker
Honours: Won every title that there was to win with Hellenic, won all available
honours in the National Professional Soccer League with Kaizer Chiefs, captain
of South African Continental team, and represented South African squad against
an overseas team. Assistant Manager/Coach with Orlando Pirates, Manager/Coach
Kaizer Chiefs, Manager Coach Cape Town Spurs 1993, 1994, 1995. Made history by
taking Cape Town Spurs to the quarterfinals of the Bob Save Cup Competition.
Spurs was the first Second Division team to achieve this feat. They knocked out
three first division teams in the process
Peter du Toit
Tel: 082 455 3199
Clubs: Turned professional as a 16 year old with Cape Town City. Also played
professional soccer for Hellenic before and after soccer unity
Position: Striker
Honours: Publisher of Laduma soccer magazine
Desiree Ellis
Tel: 083 255 8063
Clubs: Athlone Celtic, Joyce's United, St Albans, Spurs, formerly Cape Town
Spurs
Position: Defensive midfielder
Honours: Represented Banyana Banyana 32 times, scoring six goals. Skippered the
national team for a record of nine years. Captained South Africa to first ever
trophy when they won the inaugural COSAFA Cup in April 2002. Led Banyana
Banyana at the 2000 African Cup of Nations. Skippered South Africa in World Cup
qualifying games in 1994/1995. Awarded Mandisa Shiceka Role Model Award by the
ANC Youth League, nominated as one of three African Women's Footballers of the
Year by CAF in 2000, appointed as one of 12 Sports Ambassadors who served from
2001-2005 by the then Minister of Sport Ngconde Balfour. Desiree was awarded a
Silver Presidential Sports Medal in 2001, served as one of 41 Cricket World Cup
2003 Ambassadors and patron of the Homeless World Cup held in Cape Town in
September 2006. She has represented Western Province women's team since 1978,
was Foschini Cape Footballer of the Year in 1989 and 1993 and Western Province
Player of the Year in 1993
Reginald Desmond Jantjies
Tel: 072 726 7386
Clubs: Idas Valley FC, Cape Town Spurs, Jomo Cosmos, Hellenic, Rezoporikos in
the Greek First Division, FC Deist in Belgium
Position: Striker
Honours: Played for Bafana Bafana 1992/1993. Also represented the National
Professional Soccer League XI against a team comprising of overseas-born
players based in South Africa. Hellenic and NSL Player of the Year in 1989 and
1991. Played for the South African Indoor Soccer Team in Mexico in 1997,
netting 14 goals in six matches
Leonard Eric Kleintjies (better known as Lennie)
Tel: 082 468 1820
Clubs: Played junior football for St John's AFC in the Cape District Football
Association but a motor vehicle accident cut short his career
Position: Prominent soccer writer
Honours: Sports Editor, Cape Herald, for whom he wrote the highly popular on
the ball column. For years he was the writer to read when it came to news about
the South African Soccer Federation professional teams Glenville and Cape Town
Spurs, as well as soccer played under the auspices of the Western Province
Football Board. He's a founder member of Spartans Baseball Club.
Eric Xolile Kombela
Tel: 082 300 5707
Clubs: Amazulu, Seven Stars FC, Cape Town Spurs and Manning Rangers
Position: Central midfielder, striker
Honours: Represented South Africa at Beach Soccer World Cup in Spain. As an
amateur, he was named Western Cape Football Association Sportsman of the Year
in 1985. In 1992, he gained his Western Province amateur colours. As a coach he
won juniors championships with Hellenic and Ajax Cape Town. He also reached the
semifinals of the Nike under 15 World Cup with Ajax Cape Town in Holland in
2000
Roger Links
Tel: 083 410 4987
Clubs: Yorkshire Football Club, Battswood Football Club (amateur). As a
professional he played for Battswood in the Federation Professional League,
Cape Town Spurs, Hellenic and Santos.
Position: Central defender
Honours: Gained 12 national caps for Bafana Bafana. At amateur level, he won
the Western Province Football Board Virginia League Championship with Battswood
from 1984-1987. He was also in the Battswood team that garnered the South
African Soccer Federation National Club Championships in 1985, 1987 and 1988.
In the FPL he won 1989 league title, as well as the New Republic Bank Knockout
trophy in the same year. He was named Western Cape NSL Player of the Year in
1990, NSL Rookie of the Year in 1991, Cape Town Spurs Player of the Year in
1991 and Battswood Player of the Year in 1989.
Sharon Lombard
Tel: 072 625 4392
Clubs: Regal United and Joyce's United
Position: Striker
Honours: Played for Banyana Banyana, scoring three goals. She was capped by
Western Province. She was named Referee of the Tournament at the 1996 Nike
under 15 Tournament, named Western Province Sportswoman as well as Referee of
the Year in 1999. Sharon was the woman in the middle in the final of the Halala
Cup in 2003, men's Coca Cola Cup in 2003, Coke Ladies Final in 2003, 2004 and
2005. She was also the Vodacom final in 2005 and 2006.
Thabo Mngomeni
Tel: 072 378 5731
Clubs: Cape Town Spurs, Manning Rangers, Umtata Bush Bucks and Orlando
Pirates
Position: Midfielder
Honours: Captained Bafana Bafana. All in all he played for the national team on
38 occasions, striking eight goals. He also captained Bush Bucks and Orlando
Pirates. Thabo won the 2000 CAF Goal of the Year Award. He was also a member of
the 2002 South African World Cup squad. He won two Bob Save Super Bowl and
League Championship trophies with Cape Town Spurs in 1995, two Coca Cola Cups
with Bush Bucks in 1996 and 1997, a bronze medal at the 2000 African Cup of
Nations with Bafana Bafana, and a Castle Premiership Championship with
Pirates.
Portia Mtokwana
Tel: 073 590 8289
Clubs: Cape Town Pirates
Position: Leftback
Honours: Represented Banyana Banyana from 1998 to 2006. She made international
debut against Egypt. Gained more than 34 caps.
Simpiwe Patrick Oliphant
Tel: (021) 695 3423
Clubs: Blue Birds FC, Cape Town Ramblers and Bafana Football Club
Position: Striker
Honours: He played for the Cape Sports Writers X1 as well as the Western Cape
President's XI. Simpiwe is a victim of apartheid. Owing to South Africa's
isolation, he could never take up offers to play professional soccer in
Britain.
Winnie Qhuma
Tel: 084 225 0621
Clubs: Founder member of Winnie's Ladies.
Position: Striker
Honours: Started women's soccer at school level in the Western Cape.
Chairperson of SAFA's women's section in Cape Town.
Sivuyile Sugars Qinga
Tel: 073 172 9206
Clubs: Cape Town Royals (amateur) and Seven Stars.
Position: Leftback or central defender
Honours: Captained Seven Stars from 1995-1999, Western Province Sports Writers'
Footballer of the Year in 1987, Seven Stars Sportsman of the Year in 1998.
Serves on the board of Grandparents Against Poverty and Aids, a Section 21
Company.
Mara Sefalane
Tel: 073 423 8887
Clubs: Bafana Football Club, Cape Town Spurs, Hellenic, Santos and Seven Stars
FC
Position: Striker
Honours: Most Improved Player, Hellenic, in 1987, Player of the Year, Seven
Stars, 1996. Coached Langa Football Association's under 19 team in 1999/2000,
Bafana Football Club 2000/2001, Mbekweni Cosmos FC, and University of the
Western Cape 2005/2007.
Achmat Salie
Tel: 083 480 2171
Clubs: Played amateur football for Newton Rovers, Sporta and Invitation
X1
Position: Referee
Honours: He officiated in five matches during the 1998 World Cup Finals in
France. In the same year, Achmat was awarded the State President's Silver Star
for Sporting Achievements, as well as named Western Province Sports Personality
of the Year. He was named Football Association of Western Province Referee of
the Year in 1983 and 1985. He also refereed African Cup of Nations matches,
Youth World, Premier Soccer League.
Joanne Solomons
Tel: 072 592 5334
Clubs: Trinitarians, Cape Town Spurs, now known as Spurs
Position: Striker
Honours: Scored the goal that gave Banyana Banyana a 1-0 victory over Ghana in
the African Cup of Nations semi-final in 2000 but crowd violence caused the
final against Nigeria to be abandoned. In total, she scored 49 goals in 54
matches for Banyana Banyana. She played in last year's African Cup of Nations.
She coaches boys under 19 and under 16 teams at Norman Henshilwood High School
in Wynberg.
Enquiries:
Dennis Cruywagen
Tel: 082 442 6821
Issued by: Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Western Cape Provincial
Government
22 March 2007
