Mamelodi Sundowns coaches and staff members come together to share stories and life lessons of the late Alex Shakoane.

As news of Mr. Shakoane’s untimely passing spread, tributes have been pouring in from across the football community, with many of the club’s legends, coaches, and staff members sharing fond memories of their time with Goldfinger. Despite the sadness of his passing, there was a palpable sense of celebration as those who knew him best looked back at his life and the impact he had on the club.

With the days passing by, the club continued to pay tribute to Goldfinger, with many of his former colleagues recounting experiences and life lessons they had learned from the PRO over the years. They spoke of his humility, his kindness, and his deep love for the game of football.

Masandawana’s legend, Daniel “Mambush” Mudau, coaches Jerry Tshabalala and Surprise Moriri came together to look back at Bra Alex’s role at the club and shared fond memories and life lessons learned from the legendary man.

“Bra Alex was a very special person in the team. I recall way back in the 90’s when we used to watch football he would go out and mobilize supporters. The supporters really loved him, we as his colleagues also loved him. We learnt a lot from him in terms of growing the support of the team, and I’m just hoping that his absence won’t affect the team that much. We will keep the spirit of Mr. Alex Shakoane going in terms of trying to bring lots of supporters to the team”, said the Ladies team Head Coach, Jerry Tshabalala.

Coach Jerry brought to mind Alex’s compelling commitment to community outreach and the fascinating relationship he had with football supporters, which made him a beloved figure at the club and in the community: “A message to the supporters and friends of Mr. Alex is that, this is a big loss to us, we’ve lost someone who knew how to make the team one, he could bring us together and unify us. Those of us who are left behind have to continue with his journey, and keep doing what he used to do best, which was to mobilize the supporters for the club. Let’s keep the legacy going, we can’t drop it now. He has started something very big for us and we’ve just got to keep up with it.”

For many, Goldfinger was more than just a colleague – he was a mentor, a friend, and a role model. Former player, Mambush spoke of his unwavering support and encouragement, both on and off the field when he arrived at the club in the 90’s. The Legend also emotionally talked about Shakoane’s support during the most precious moments in his life and how he went out of his way to make him feel welcomed.

“He was one of the people who hand-picked me from the dusty roads of Mamelodi whereby he took me to the Mamelodi Sundowns U12. U15. U17 and all the way to U22 team. When my father passed on, Bra Alex was with me from day one until we buried my father. I thought it would be the end, but even when my sister and brothers also passed, Bra Alex was there from the first day until the end. The most important one is when I was getting married in 1996, Bra Alex was the man who negotiated for me. He played a very important role in my life.”

Masandawana’s Diski Coach and former player, Surprise Moriri also looked back to his early days at the club and recollected a vivid memory of Mr.Shakoane’s kind-heartedness and warmth upon his arrival at Chloorkop, “I remember the first time when I joined Mamelodi Sundowns he was one of the few people that I met, he always had time to make sure that he welcomed the new players. He made sure that you felt very special and he made you understand you’re a part of the people and squad that had to take the club somewhere, because he always had big dreams for Mamelodi Sundowns and he was not shy to speak about where he wanted Sundowns to be.”

“We are going to miss him very dearly, but on the other side one can say he has run his race and now it’s time for us to continue from where he left off. But I know for sure that those shoes of his will be too big for anyone to fill, and we’ll just have to make sure that wherever he is ,he’s proud of what he has already built and the contributions that he’s made. Alex Shakoane was Sundowns , he touched each and every person at Sundowns differently  and in a good way.”