Football in photographs

THE story of the birth of South African football is told in a comprehensive photography exhibition called Jabulani Bafana Collection 2010, at the VIP Lounge at FNB Stadium.

Kaizer Motaung after leaving Pirates in original Kaizer Chiefs Football Club coloursKaizer Motaung after leaving Pirates in original Kaizer Chiefs Football Club coloursViewers are taken down memory lane, with stops at some of the great and wonderful moments in local soccer.

The photographs, sourced from Drum magazine, profile the lives, successes and football careers of some of the most celebrated stars, including Eliakim “Pro” Khumalo; Patrick Pule “Ace” Ntsoelengoe, who is in the football Hall of Fame; Kaizer Motaung; Jomo “The Black Prince” Sono; and Percy Chippa Moloi.

To these men, soccer was not just a sport; it was part of their daily lives, and a culture that was passed from one generation to the other. Intriguing stories of how sons continued their fathers’ football legacy are told in the exhibition.

It happened in the Sono family, when Jomo Sono followed in footsteps of his father, Eric “Scara” Sono; Doctor “16” Khumalo also filled the boots of his football stalwart father, Eliakim “Pro” Khumalo.

So passionate and attached to football was Pro Khumalo that on his wedding day, when the time came for him to kiss his bride, he kissed a soccer ball first – his wife watching. It is one of the funniest pictures on display.

Pirates
Another great piece of football history is the success of Orlando Pirates under the captainship of Scara Sono. He led the team in the late 1950s to their most successful season ever.

Darius Dhlomo, one of the first South African football players to ply his trade in EuropeDarius Dhlomo, one of the first South African football players to ply his trade in EuropeKaizer Motaung’s departure from Orlando Pirates to form Kaizer Chiefs is also told in a range of photographs. To this day, Chiefs and Pirates are fierce rivals.

The life and times of multi-talented footballer, Darius Dhlomo, and the football administrator, Dan Twala, are also unpacked. Dhlomo, who was born and bred in Durban, was one of the first South Africans to play in the European League, opening the way for many other players of his time.

He was known as “Durban’s most eligible bachelor” for he was never married, and was gifted in many other ways. He was also a competent boxer, and even a musician.

Another jack of many trades was the Swaziland born Twala, who was best known for his role in the administration of football in Johannesburg. He served on the Johannesburg city council as the manager of Johannesburg Bantu Sports Club, one of the highest positions in sport at the time.

He contribution to the growth and development of South African football in 1933, while holding the post at the Bantu Sports Club and running the Bantu Men’s Social Centre, was immense. Thwala led a number of teams out of the Johannesburg Bantu Football Association and into the Johannesburg African Football Association.

Soccer and politics
The exhibition also highlights how key struggle heroes and celebrated stalwarts used football to forge relations among themselves. One of the most interesting photographs is of the anti-apartheid activist, Oliver Tambo, and his comrades playing soccer.

Oliver Tambo in an undated photo played for the VeteransOliver Tambo plays for the Veterans in this undated photoTambo, a lawyer in a firm with Nelson Mandela, would play the sport to unwind and to build networks with other activists.
In Johannesburg, the South African Communist Party operated under the nose of security police in the guise of a football club, Dynamos. The club featured prominent politicians such as the Pahad brothers, Essop and Aziz, in its ranks.

And the first South African winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Albert Luthuli, who was the president of the ANC at the time, used to be the secretary of the Football Association of Natal.

One of the biggest moments recorded in the photos was the historic decision by Orlando Pirates to defy the apartheid laws by deliberately signing white players such as Keith Broad and the Andy Karajinsky. This move encouraged integration and multi-racialism in South African football.

Women’s football
The history of women’s football is also captured in the exhibition. Renowned players such as Ria Ledwaba from Polokwane and Gloria Hlalele from Tembisa are referenced as the pioneers of South African women’s football in the 1980s.

The exhibition is open at FNB Stadium on weekdays from 9am to 3pm. For more information or for bookings, contact Stadium Management South Africa on 011 247 5321.