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Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba with Orlando Pirates legend Siyabonga Sangweni. Image: @kznsportsarts/X
R47 million stadium named after Orlando Pirates legend
Orlando Pirates legend Siyabonga Sangweni will live forever in his community. A R47 million sports complex has been opened in his honour.
MEC for
@SportArtsKZN
Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba with Orlando Pirates legend Siyabonga Sangweni. Image: @kznsportsarts/X
Remember Siyabonga Sangweni at Orlando Pirates? Of course you should. He has just had a R47 milion stadium named after him in his home village of Dondotha, KwaZulu Natal.
ORLANDO PIRATES LEGEND SIYABONGA SANGWENI HONOURED IN DONDOLA
Sangweni, affectionately known as “Nsimbi,” started his professional career at Nathi Lions in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC). He later moved to Golden Arrows before hitting the big time when he joined Orlando Pirates in 2011.
After 102 matches and three trophies with the Bucaneers, the former central defender with 29 caps for Bafana Bafana retired in 2016.
Meanwhile, the KwaZulu Natal’s Arts and Sports Department has opened the Siyabonga Sangweni Sports Complex in honour of the Orlando Pirates legend at his home village of Dondotha.
FULL STATEMENT
“KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will, this weekend 18 May 2024 open gates to the R47 million Dondotha Sports Complex which will be handed over to the local community,” the department said.
“Nestled in the famous village of Dondotha where former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates, captain and centre-back, Siyabonga “Nsimbi” Sangweni hails, the sports complex is set to become a gamechanger for the district of King Cetshwayo and the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
“To herald this new era in sporting and recreational infrastructure, sports fans will be treated to a feast of sporting activities with a scintillating exhibition match between Orlando Pirates Legends and Kaizer Chiefs Legends. This game will be preceded by the game between KwaZulu-Natal Legends taking on King Cetshwayo Legends.
“The handover function will also serve to honour former Sangweni who is regarded as a local sporting hero,” the note concluded.
SIYABONGA SANGWENI COMMENT
The Orlando Pirates legend said: “I just wanna thank God because everything that happens, he’s the only one who knew that at this time this was going to happen,” said Sangweni via FARPost.
“I must also thank my parents, I don’t mean my biological parents only, I mean every person in the community who helped us grow, I also thank the football supporters for backing me when I was growing up.
“When a child is born, it depends whether they listen to the parents. I knew what I wanted in life, there’s a lot of wrong things I could have done that would have driven me to the wrong places.
“If you remember how this field was during the games we used to do…the municipality got involved. I just want to thank the leadership for approaching me about this.
“They said they would do something that would make everyone happy. And this is for young kids that we’re preparing the future of.
“This makes me happy because even when I’m gone, they will always remember that there was someone like Sangweni.
“I think this is the first time in King Cetshwayo to have such a facility, it makes me happy. I’m even happy for the people of this place because they will benefit from this,” the former Orlando Pirates captain concluded.
