Liverpool, Chiefs Legends to clash

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    4 October 2013

    The Liverpool Legends football team is set to tour South Africa, with a clash against the Kaizer Chiefs Legends at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on 16 November to highlight their visit, it was announced on Thursday.

    “We have always enjoyed fantastic support in South Africa, where Liverpool is as loved as anywhere else in the world,” John Barnes, a Liverpool legend, who is nowadays a regular figure on South African television as a football pundit, told the South African Press Association (Sapa).

    “It will be an honour for us to play in front of these passionate fans and show some of the skills that have not only won us many trophies, but millions of friends around the world too.”

    ‘Great respect’

    Assessing the challenge that lies ahead for the Reds, Barnes added: “We have a great respect for the Kaizer Chiefs club, who are South Africa’s most successful ever team and themselves are known around the world. They too have had many great players down the years and we look forward to locking horns with them.”

    Durban-born former Durban City goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who played 440 games for Liverpool has been named in the visitors’ line-up.

    Striker Robbie Fowler, who scored 183 goals in his time with Liverpool and was recently signed up with Steve McManaman to help the club’s under-18 and under-21 squads, will also be in action.

    Phil Neal

    The Liverpool squad will be packed with players that were crowned European champions, including defender Phil Neal, who won 50 caps for England and lifted numerous trophies with the Reds, including four European Cups, one Uefa Cup, one Uefa Super Cup, eight First Division titles, four League Cups, and five FA Charity Shields.

    Chiefs will be able to call upon Bafana Bafana greats Doctor Khumalo, Lucas Radebe, and John “Shoes” Moshoeu, who made 50, 70, and 73 appearances for the national team respectively. They rate among the best players produced by South Africa.

    ‘A wonderful opportunity’

    “We have had some great players in our history and for those that never saw them play in their prime, this will be a wonderful opportunity to show the younger fans the skills that made these players such legends,” Khumalo told Sapa.

    “We also welcome the opportunity to play a club of Liverpool’s stature, as this will be a meeting of two great sides who enjoy vast support in South Africa.

    “We are sure it will be a great occasion not just for the fans, but the players too.”

    SAinfo reporter