Motsepe missed a trick with this Messi business

Hosting the mighty footballing institution that is Barcelona is a big deal. They are worth the R45-million mining magnate Patrice Motsepe has shelled out for their Joburg pit stop.

Sundowns owner Motsepe brought an equally star-studded Barcelona side to South Africa some 11 years ago.

A generation of children born in that gap have witnessed Barcelona’s hegemony and that’s all well and good. Here’s the real question: What is the value of such extreme public relations stunts in the greater scheme of things?

Those who have football development at heart can rightly question the hastily organised spectacle that took place at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Where are the coaching clinics and the engagements with grassroots soccer fans?

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