Pitso Mosimane wishes to help the University of Johannesburg (UJ) establish a professional football team to emulate other universities like Wits and Tuks as a token of appreciation to the institution for conferring an honorary doctorate on him.
“I’d like to do more with this institution. We all have seen, on a football side, I think Wits was leading many, many years until there was no longer Bidvest Wits [when they sold their Premiership status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in 2020], but the sport has been there,” Mosimane said on the sidelines of UJ's graduation ceremony at Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park, where the institution honoured him with an honorary doctorate on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen with [University of Pretoria] Tuks, they still have a professional football team [campaigning in the second-tier], they were in the Premiership a few seasons ago [until they were relegated in 2016] and one of the things I’d like to contribute to the university is bringing them to the right level by having a Premiership team.
“We were talking with the dean to say, we need to find something that we could do together. It’s not only about playing football, it’s also about coach education.”
The 60-year-old three-time CAF Champions League winner admitted that he had never imagined himself as an honorary doctor. Mosimane's honorary event was attended by Safa president Danny Jordaan, football icon Jomo Sono and several high-profile football figures from the continent such as Senegal coach Aliou Cissé and Zambian legend Kalusha Byalwa, among many others.
“I never thought this [being conferred with an honorary doctorate] would be happening to me. And you don’t apply. You don’t lobby. You are called… so, it’s really humbling. It’s different from being told that [you will be honoured] and being on the podium,'' Mosimane said.
“We are ordinary people...we come from soccer. So, when the academics acknowledge and appreciate us, we ask ourselves if it’s really happening.”
Pitso out to ‘repay’ UJ for doctorate
Coach to help varsity establish professional team
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Pitso Mosimane wishes to help the University of Johannesburg (UJ) establish a professional football team to emulate other universities like Wits and Tuks as a token of appreciation to the institution for conferring an honorary doctorate on him.
“I’d like to do more with this institution. We all have seen, on a football side, I think Wits was leading many, many years until there was no longer Bidvest Wits [when they sold their Premiership status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in 2020], but the sport has been there,” Mosimane said on the sidelines of UJ's graduation ceremony at Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park, where the institution honoured him with an honorary doctorate on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen with [University of Pretoria] Tuks, they still have a professional football team [campaigning in the second-tier], they were in the Premiership a few seasons ago [until they were relegated in 2016] and one of the things I’d like to contribute to the university is bringing them to the right level by having a Premiership team.
“We were talking with the dean to say, we need to find something that we could do together. It’s not only about playing football, it’s also about coach education.”
The 60-year-old three-time CAF Champions League winner admitted that he had never imagined himself as an honorary doctor. Mosimane's honorary event was attended by Safa president Danny Jordaan, football icon Jomo Sono and several high-profile football figures from the continent such as Senegal coach Aliou Cissé and Zambian legend Kalusha Byalwa, among many others.
“I never thought this [being conferred with an honorary doctorate] would be happening to me. And you don’t apply. You don’t lobby. You are called… so, it’s really humbling. It’s different from being told that [you will be honoured] and being on the podium,'' Mosimane said.
“We are ordinary people...we come from soccer. So, when the academics acknowledge and appreciate us, we ask ourselves if it’s really happening.”
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