From left: Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Achmat Dangor, Foundation trustee Tokyo Sexwale and FIFPro Executive Members Chris Fortuin and Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe
July 3, 2009 – The worldwide representative organisation for all professional football players, FIFPro, honoured Nelson Mandela today at small ceremony at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in Johannesburg, in recognition of Mr Mandela’s contribution towards non-racism and peace and his commitment to football.
Receiving the award on his behalf was Foundation trustee Tokyo Sexwale.
Presented by FIFPro Division Africa Executive Member Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe, the award symbolised all professional footballers’ respect for Madiba as well as their support in continuing Mr Mandela’s legacy.
“We as world football players feel honoured to have lived in the same era as Nelson Mandela,” said Gaoshubelwe at the event. “Through football we will do what we can to spread peace. We will fill the stadia and spread the message to bring peace. We will use our status as you have done to advance the goodness of the human race.
Achmat Dangor and Tokyo Sexwale hold up the FIFPro award
“On behalf of FIFPro, the South African Football Players’ Union and the world players, we would like to confer this award for peace on Nelson Mandela.
“It’s a great honour to bestow this award on Nelson Mandela for his pursuit of equality, peace and justice. May his, Madiba’s, legacy live on forever.”
Receiving the award on behalf of Mr Mandela, former political prisoner Sexwale joked about life on Robben Island, saying that even though the prisoners had broken the laws of the apartheid government, the one set of rules they always adhered to were Fifa’s football rules.
“I’m very happy to be asked by Nelson Mandela to receive this award on his behalf,” said Sexwale at the ceremony. Sexwale went on to explain how political activists during apartheid had pleaded with Fifa to impose a ban on South Africa and how Mr Mandela had personally phoned Fifa, after his release, to have the international ban lifted.
“Nelson Mandela stood for us, for all of us. It is now time for us to stand and continue his legacy. ‘It’s in our hands.’ Thank you on behalf of Mr Mandela and on behalf of his trustees for this award.”
“This is the first and only award of this nature that FIFPro will confer on anyone,” said Chris Fortuin, FIFPro Division Africa Executive Member, who handed the award to Sexwale. “In the future we will recognise players who have used their status to help others in a similar fashion, but this is a special award for leadership and anti-racism.
“It’s a bit like the players’ player award [referring to the annual award conferred to the best player worldwide as voted for by other professional football players], but this is the world’s professional footballers’ recognition of Madiba, the best player in the world.”