Moeti contributed to football via foundation – family friend

Despite the late John Moeti being private about his life, the family spokesperson Victor Rakhale has revealed that he was actually not lost in football.

The legendary Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana star died on Monday following a long illness.

Moeti was part of the 1995 Pirates squad that claimed the CAF Champions League and the 1996 Bafana team that won the Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking to SowetanLIVE sister’s station Marawa World Wide Sports, Rakhale said Moeti did a lot for football even after he retired.

“Well, you could say that he played a very little part, but he played a big part by that. I mean when he left football and retired, he and his wife started a foundation called the Truth Foundation,” Rakhale told Robert Marawa.

“It is a religiously based foundation. At the heart of it, there was football where they taught kids leadership skills and life skills through football.

“In that sense, he never really left football, but he was not involved in the professional side of football after he retired.

Rakhale also added that Moeti, 55, didn’t want to be in the spotlight hence he did his business quietly.

“Without knowing too much about his thinking at the time, I would say that it could have been a conscious decision because he did not want to be in the limelight,” he said.

“I think he felt he could do more quietly than he could be in the spotlight.

“And because he was not in the spotlight, to begin with, falling sick became easy for us to contain as a family and word did not get out simply because he was the person who was very private himself.

“And I can understand how people were shocked when they heard this morning [yesterday] that he passed on.”

Rakhale added that while the family has not yet gathered the strength, they are still shocked after the sudden passing.

“The family is still in shock. They haven’t gathered the strength about his life. But for some of the people who have been at the house today [Monday], they used some of the words saying that he was the leader.

“Remember, he was captain for Pirates for many years and that talked to his leadership capabilities.

“Humble, I think that's one of the words used to describe John... true leader and someone who has the courage.”