Love him or hate him, Bobby Motaung is committed to Kaizer Chiefs for life, writes Mazola Molefe in SoccerClub magazine.

Bobby Motaung. Now there’s a name that divides public opinion, especially the views of those die-hard supporters of Kaizer Chiefs, a club where Motaung has the role of football manager and is helping advance the legacy of his father, Kaizer Motaung.

One of the more popular administrators in the PSL, the tale of Bobby’s rise to the upper echelons of South African football is one that will have even William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson in the epic 1995 movie Braveheart) all teary.

Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s hard not to romanticise Motaung’s humble beginnings – from gatekeeper during Chiefs matches on weekends, when he would follow his father and uncle, Ace Rathebe, to his influential position today. Alcker Stadium in Rockville, Soweto, was his second home.

‘I was also a player, you know,’ the 46-year-old tells SoccerClub. ‘I played for the development team alongside guys like Doctor Khumalo and Donald “Ace” Khuse. In fact, I recommended Doc Khumalo to my father to sign him because I was convinced teams like Orlando Pirates would steal him. I think I just generally gravitated towards being on the management side of things because it was my father’s team. I was always helping around in the office and going to games at the weekend instead of focusing on being on the actual pitch.’

Well, it’s paid off. Sure, Bobby has a complex relationship with club supporters, but believes he continues to serve their interests as the family empire continues to grow. He started off working in the Chiefs marketing department and today is the Amakhosi go-to man when it comes to the recruitment of players.

Some have also argued he might very well be the club’s chief scout for fresh talent, even though he has at times, by his own admission, got it horribly wrong. It is for this reason, and perhaps the perceived arrogance in public, that the fans often get riled up.

If you are wondering what qualifies him to buy and sell players at such a massive brand like Chiefs, Bobby has an answer.

‘I learned from so many people in the game. Besides my father, I have worked with Screamer Tshabalala [a former Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns coach], the late Ted Dumitru and Muhsin Ertugral, who actually asked me to come back as a team manager during his first time at Chiefs [between 1999 and 2003] when I was not necessarily involved in the day-to-day running of the club.’

Has he ever considered anything else outside football?

‘I have other business interests like construction and stadium management for instance, but my priority has always been working for the club,’ Bobby says. ‘I think we gave birth to football management in South Africa in the way we did things at the club. It was important to make this structure professional and we achieved that with our approach.’

– This article first appeared in Issue 74 of SoccerClub magazine