Durban - Leading Orlando Pirates supporter, Mama Joy Chauke, shocked soccer fans after she announced her departure from the club, swapping her famous black and white for black and gold of Royal AM.
Mama Joy has been a diehard Buccanneer for over 30 years and became synonymous with the Soweto giants and endeared herself to skull and cross-bone fans all over the country. She now joins Premiership newbies - a team that was formed after Durban business-woman and socialite Shaun Mkhize bought out Bloemfontein Celtic at the beginning of the season.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Mama Joy expressed her joy at being associated with the club's owner she referred to as ‘Her Majesty’.
“As hard as it is, I am leaving Orlando Pirates and I am joining Royal AM” she told the TV channel.
Mama Joy leaves @orlandopirates for @RoyalAM_FC 😅💀 pic.twitter.com/4SCMuInhlF
“I have decided to join Royal AM to support MaMkhize (Shaun Mkhize) because after the controversy on the last day of their season and not gaining automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership, it hurt me to see another woman suffering and hurting the way she did.”
“I realised that she loves soccer and had her ambitions set on playing in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) when she acquired the status of Bloemfontein Celtic and that kind of passion and purpose really clinched it for me “
Chauke has been a familiar figure in the Pirates support base and has attended all but one of their home games in the past 20 years. She now joins the newly formed ‘Thwihli Thwahla' but has lamented that her decision is not financially driven but in fact “what the heart wants”.
“I want everyone to know that I supported Orlando Pirates with all my heart and in fact I came up with the prominent slogan of ‘Operation take it all’ when Pirates won their double treble between 2010 -2012 “
“I want to support MaMkhize as a woman in football and I want to support Royal AM” she concluded.
With stadiums still a no go zone for supporters due to the Covid-19 restrictions, fans are gonna have to wait a little longer to see Mama Joy’s famous makarapa and her wrapped in Royal AM regalia.
IOL Sport