An honorary doctorate was bestowed on Mosimane by the University of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The Faculty of Health Sciences’ decision to bestow the honour upon Mosimane, highlights his influential role in elevating South African football and his dedication to nurturing young talent.
Pitso Mosimane, who turns 60 years old on Friday, received an early birthday present in the form of an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg.
Born in Kagiso, but raised in Soweto, Mosimane has served football for over 40 years. He made his professional debut at Jomo Cosmos back in 1982 at the tender age of eighteen. Mosimane also played in Greece and Belgium. He turned to coaching in 1995 and was appointed head coach of SuperSport United 20 years ago.
“This moment is a testament to the journey that I travelled as a human being. Growing up I did not imagine football opening so many doors that it did for me, both locally and internationally. Football has allowed me to improve myself, my family, and others. I have interacted with top coaches in the world like Thomas Tuchel,” says Mosimane.
After achieving unprecedented success with Mamelodi Sundowns, Mosimane also made his mark coaching beyond the borders of South Africa. He won two CAF Champions League trophies with Africa’s club of the century, Al Ahly of Egypt.
“Football has taught me a lot and that education in sport has opened my eyes in many ways. This is a tip to future generations. I will remain the student of the game forever and will keep on learning,” Mosimane added.
The legendary Jomo Sono discovered Mosimane on the dusty streets of Soweto many years ago.
“All praise should go to the University of Johannesburg to honour Pitso Mosimane when he is still alive. They have outdone football people by far, as football people we were not going to honour our own in this fashion,” says Sono.
“This is a big week for football in the country. Today it’s the University of Johannesburg honouring one of our own. It shows the big influence that football has in South Africa. We’ve got many people from the football fraternity who have been honoured in the past including the likes of Jomo Sono, and the life president of SAFA Molefi Oliphant. Pitso deserves all the recognition,” says SAFA President Danny Jordaan.
“Pitso has served football loyally and he deserves all the recognition, he is getting. I’m happy to join other football people from across the African continent to support Mosimane,” says former Zambia Forward Kalusha Bwalya.
Mosimane has also coached in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Although his career is in limbo at the moment, Mosimane says he will continue to add value to South African football on and off the pitch.
For now, he is concentrating on the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools, where the focus is on grassroots development.
--SABC--
