Pienaar named Fifa ambassador
BAFANA deputy captain Steve "Schillo" Pienaar is the ambassador of Fifa's Football for Hope programme.
Pienaar was honoured by the world's football governing body yesterday. Former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe has also served as the ambassador of Football for Hope, which is a programme used by Fifa and streetfootballworld to advance the use of football for social development and to spread innovations in the field.
Fifa has built 20 Football for Hope centres in Africa, including one in Alexandra and another in Khayelitsha.
Pienaar, the popular Everton attacking midfielder, said he was grateful to Fifa for his appointment.
"Football meant everything to me in my childhood. Football was a school of life which also allowed me to become what I am today," Pienaar said in the Fifa website yesterday.
"I am an avid believer in Fifa's Football for Hope programme, because it uses the beautiful game of football to bring young people closer to education and health services, as well as teach them the values of fair play. It's a real honour to work as an ambassador for Fifa."
Safa chief executive officer Leslie Sedibe and Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane congratulated Pienaar.
"Schillo is one of the greatest ambassadors of South Africa and the rest of the continent. We would like to congratulate him for continuing to put us on the global map," said Sedibe.
