Ex-German star selects Hout Bay
RETIRED German footballer and manager of English Premiership giants Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp, was on holiday in Cape Town two years ago when he passed by the fields of the Hout Bay United football community.
Intrigued by what he saw, he asked more about the children playing soccer and found out how this group aims to advance education and youth development, uplift and unite the community of Cape Town through football.
Hout Bay United campaigns in the amateur ABC Motsepe League.
“Klopp was chosen as the German Football Ambassador for 2019, and he selected the Hout Bay project as the one he would support,” said a delighted Iris Henkel during an event hosted by the ambassador of Germany to South Africa, Martin Schäfer, in Pretoria yesterday.
Although Klopp was not present at the event, it was attended by Roland Bischof who initiated the ambassador programme, and Horst Kriete, a world football governing body Fifa technical expert, coach and football development worker who won the German Football Ambassador honours in 2017.
Kriete has a long association with this country, including having served as technical director for the South African Football Association (Safa).
Bischof explained that the German Football Ambassador award was made to German footballers and coaches who made a special contribution to the reputation of Germany and German football abroad.
The prize money gives the football ambassador the opportunity to mentor a community social responsibility project of their choice, bringing to it prestige, financial support, and introducing it to a much wider world audience.
To date there are 25 projects that have been supported, with a focus on development work with children and the youth.
Kriete lends his expertise to the “Horst Project” in Johannesburg, in conjunction with Safa, meaning two of the 25 projects currently supported by the German Football Ambassador programme are in South Africa.
Houtbay has developed football leagues for both boys and girls at each age level from junior to 18, through which it delivers not only professional coaching but educational support, life skills and mentorship to the community.