Mbabane -Former football stars will return to the pitch this weekend, but this time their biggest victory will not necessarily be lifting the Legends Cup trophy.
Instead, the former players will be using their reunion to help put shoes on the feet of children in need.The inaugural Legends Cup, scheduled for August 15 and 16 at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium in Nhlangano, will bring together 16 teams of former football players in tournament organizers say is designed to combine nostalgia, competition and community service.
With the tournament officially launched on Monday by the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, the organizers are positioning it as more than a football competition through its “A Weekend of Football, 365 Days of Giving” campaign. Launched under the theme, “Let’s Shoe Their Walk”, the campaign seeks to mobilize shoes for underprivileged children.
Unlike an ordinary football tournament, participating teams have been challenged to contribute towards the cause, with each team expected to enter with a minimum of five pairs of shoes. The initiative, according to one of its brains, Nkhosilenhle “Makawosi” Masuku, was born from an unexpected conversation during a birthday celebration.
Masuku said the idea started when he spoke to his sons about the realities faced by children who did not have the same opportunities or basic necessities as they did. Rather than simply telling them about the plight of less fortunate children, Masuku challenged them to think about what they could do to help.
That conversation resulted in their first act purchasing about 40 blankets, which were distributed to children at Gogo Nde Care Point in Nhlangano. The shoe drive is expected to be one of the defining features of the Legends Cup, with Masuku emphasizing that a pair of shoes can have a profound impact on a child who does not have adequate footwear.
“For a child who needs them, that pair can mean dignity, confidence and hope,” he said. The campaign has already attracted contributions from partners, with the Football Association pledging E20 000 worth of shoes, while MTK a logistics company based in Matsapha industrial area has contributed shoes valued at E10 000.
The initiative will cater for both boys and girls, which Masuku stressed that the ultimate objective is to ensure that the tournament leaves a lasting footprint in the communities it serves.
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