Jomo Sono takes major step forward with big Cosmos announcement
Jomo Cosmos, one of South Africa’s most iconic football clubs, has taken a major step forward with a big announcement.
Ezenkosi got the chop from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the end of the 2021/22 season. They finished second in the ABC Motsepe League – the third tier of South African football – during the 2022/23 season.
The club has revealed that it will play all its home matches at the Duduza Stadium this season as part of an agreement with a new sponsor.
WHAT IS JOMO COSMOS’ BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
Jobe Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at uplifting the Duduza Community, will sponsor the club for the next two years.
“It’s an honour for Jomo Cosmos. As you know, the perception is that when you go down to the third division, it’s the end of the team,” Sono said during the sponsorship launch in Johannesburg.
“I don’t believe in that. I’m a fighter. I believe this brand will stay as long as I’m alive in South African football because we’re in football. We’re not out of football.
“For me, what’s touching is to see a black foundation supporting another black team in the country. It tells us that at least our black brothers know they have to plough back to their communities.”
Jobe Foundation was founded in Duduza, a township west of Nigel on the East Rand. Coincidentally, Cosmos have had several players in the past – including Teboho Mokoena, who played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and Lehlogonolo Nonyane – who hail from the township.
Under the new partnership, Sono, whose eye for talent is unparalleled, will be looking to give opportunities to players from Duduza and surrounding areas.
MORE PLAYERS FROM DUDUZA
“We would like to see a few players coming out of Duduza to become top players,” he added.
“I’m very proud we have a two-year partnership with Jobe Foundation. The other agreement was that Jomo Cosmos would use Duduza Stadium as their home ground from now on.”
While he concedes the third tier comes with its own challenges, he believes they will return to the PSL with the support they are getting.
“I believe with the kind of team we’ve assembled this season and the support from Jobe, we stand a good chance for promotion.”
The announcement of the new sponsorship is a major boost for Jomo Cosmos, who want to return to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Jobe Foundation’s head of projects, Sello Nkopane, said they were eager to play a part as the once mighty Cosmos work their way back to the top.
“You don’t have to be a big organisation to give back. What we’re hoping to achieve, particularly with this partnership, is to showcase that possibility. 114 teams play in the ABC Motsepe League, and there are so many black businesses out there.
“So many NGOs out there. A few of them will make a big difference in the league itself. Beyond the league, in the livelihoods of these players and the townships they come from. We’re hoping to be exemplary in what we do.”
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