'Bra Alex was Sundowns through and through,' says ‘Mambush’ Mudau as tributes pour in for Alex Shakoane

Daniel “Mambush” Mudau and Peter Koutroulis, who are among those who knew Alex “Goldfingers” Shakoane well, have joined the footballing fraternity in mourning the death of the former Mamelodi Sundowns official. 

Koutroulis and Mudau, who worked with Shakoane for many years at the club, have described his passing as a big loss for South African football. 

“It is a sad day and it is a sad time,” said former Sundowns captain Mudau.  

“He was man full of energy, full of charisma and there was always laughter when he was around. There was never a dull moment with him because of his sense of humour. 

“When he was around, he would be the one talking and cracking jokes. Bra Alex was Sundowns, he breathed and ate Sundowns. Actually he was Sundowns through and through.” 

Mudau said the fact his death had even touched fans of other clubs was an indication of his immense contribution to the game. 

“As club and football fraternity, we have lost big time and there is not even a single person who can say that he is not hurt by his passing. Even people from other clubs are hurt like us because he made the supporters of all the teams come to the stadium.” 

Mudau also reflected on how Shakoane believed in his talent from a young age. 

“He took me from the dusty streets of Mamelodi and made me who I am today, I am a legend of this club today because of him. I remember when I was playing for the youth teams of Sundowns, he told me that he wanted to make me a star.  

“I didn’t believe him at that time but he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and that’s what made him special.” 

Koutroulis, who served as Sundowns team manager for more than 10 years, said Shakoane was talented. 

“This is sad news for his family and the Sundowns family. All soccer lovers know Alex Shakoane, the man with gold fingers. I worked with Alex for over 10 years at Sundowns and he was talented as a PRO. 

“He had the talent to make every game exciting, it is a big loss for everybody. I remember when Sundowns were going to play against Kaizer Chiefs, he and Louis Tshakoane made people excited about the game on the radio. 

“He had the talent to talk and create excitement ahead of big games, he was a very good guy and he is my brother. We travelled together through Africa when Sundowns played in the Champions League and he was a big character.” 

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