As we turn the final page of 2025, I hope everyone enjoyed a joyful and blessed festive period with family and loved ones. The end of the year is always a time to look back on the highs and lows of the last 365 days, the victories and the challenges, and the memories that will remain with us forever.

This year was especially meaningful for Kaizer Chiefs as we celebrated the 55^th anniversary since our founding on 7 January 1970. To still be here, thriving and doing what we love, is a blessing we never take for granted. Over these five and a half decades, we have grown into one of Africa’s great sporting institutions, thanks to the Charmain, Dr Kaizer Motaung, together with great support from men and women who have dedicated their lives to this Club. Yet, at the very core of our success is you, our loyal Gold & Black family of millions of supporters. You are the heartbeat of Kaizer Chiefs, and we are deeply grateful for your unwavering love and dedication.

2025 was a year of milestones and triumphs

Women’s game:

As we venture into women’s football, which is growing rapidly in Africa and the world, we proudly partnered with Springs Home Sweepers to strengthen our commitment to the women’s game and open new doors for the future of the sport. We have exciting plans in the works to accelerate the process of progression in the forthcoming year.

Nedbank Cup:

Even though we reached a number of finals without ultimate success over the past decade, including the CAF Champions League in 2021, we finally made it over the line in winning the Nedbank Cup in May, a victory that brought joy to every corner of the country, from the streets to campuses, workplaces, and churches. This was a great gift to our supporters who have been with us throughout the journey of many years. We do believe there will be more silverware to come in the near future.

DDC trophy:

Our reserve side made history by winning the DStv Diski Challenge for the first time since it started, in record breaking fashion, earning a memorable trip to the United Kingdom to face Manchester United, Leeds United, and Queen’s Park Rangers’ junior teams in the last few weeks, while also visiting an iconic stadium like Old Trafford and getting to see the EPL offices. The team also got to witness two EPL matches as they saw Leeds United face Manchester City away and then Chelsea at home. This was a big reward for the hard work done by the young men with guidance from coaches Dillon Sheppard and Vela Khumalo and the hardworking technical team.

All these achievements reminded us of the power of perseverance and the joy of seeing our supporters united in celebration.

Returning to Africa

On the continental stage, the Nedbank Cup victory secured our return to CAF Interclub competitions, four years after our last campaign, when we reached the Champions League final against Al Ahly in 2021. We overcame opponents from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the preliminary stages to proudly take our place in the group stages, where we have already travelled to Egypt to face Al Masry and hosted their compatriots, Zamalek. We remain determined to progress further when the campaign resumes after AFCON, with home and away fixtures against Zesco United from Zambia, before a return to Egypt to face Zamalek and a home game against Al Masry.

Beyond the pitch, 2025 was also a year of recognition. learning and service

Personal recognition

I was personally humbled to be elected to FIFA’s Men’s Football Stakeholders Committee two months ago. I consider it a huge privilege to serve football at the highest level, and will give my best efforts to grow the game and ensure our voice as African’s is loud enough.

ACA

Kaizer Chiefs joined the CAF African Club Association (ACA), which works to strengthen club football across the continent, and of which I serve as Deputy Chairperson,. This is of utmost importance for us as we need to maintain the growth of club football by sharing ideas and collaborating.

TransferRoom

Our participation in the TransferRoom Summit in Morocco’s capital, Rabat, opened new opportunities for collaboration and growth. Our Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr. represented us well and we believe being part of the TransferRoom will benefit us immensely.

Qatar:

Earlier in December, Kaizer Motaung Jr and I travelled to Qatar for the Arab Cup, which was a huge success as Morocco were eventual winners after beating Jordan. During that tournament, FIFA hosted its awards, which was an opportunity to interact with different stakeholders from around the world who are involved in football. We also witnessed key matches including PSG and Flamingo in the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup that featured a number of major teams from different continents.

AFCON:

We then travelled to Morocco from Qatar to attend the 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, to witness firsthand the growth of African football under the visionary leadership of Dr Patrice Motsepe, as 24 nations compete to be crowned champions of Africa. Among them is our national team Bafana Bafana who have played their first three matches and will now move to the knockout phase of the tournament after qualifying from the group stages.

World Cup:

Looking ahead, 2026 promises to be monumental. The FIFA World Cup will be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and we celebrate the return of Bafana Bafana to the global stage after a long absence. We hope they do well at this global showpiece with the world watching.

RIP:

As we celebrate, we must also pause to honour the supporters we lost in 2025, including Nkosinathi Gubevu, Pearl Mkhize, and many others who tragically passed away in road accidents while demonstrating their passion for following the Glamour Boys. We also remember one of our own, Mam’ Sarah Mokgatlhe, who left us earlier this year. May their souls rest in peace, and may their memories inspire us to cherish and appreciate every moment together.

Best wishes for 2026

When the festive season concludes and many return to work or travel home, let us be mindful of safety on our roads.

To our Amakhosi family across the world, let us continue to fill the stands with our voices and energy and remain the unbreakable force behind the team. Let us pray for a safe, peaceful, and prosperous crossover into 2026.

We also take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and partners for their support throughout 2025 and wish you all the best in the new year.

From my heart to yours, Amakhosi, thank you for travelling on this journey with us. May 2026 bring peace, happiness, unity, and success to the Gold & Black family.

Love & Peace,

Jessica Motaung

Marketing & Commercial Director, Kaizer Chiefs