President Nyusi praises the “extraordinary talent and stoicism” of deceased footballer Joaquim João

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

President Nyusi praises the “extraordinary talent and stoicism” of deceased footballer Joaquim João

12:56 CAT | 11 Apr 2016

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi yesterday sent a message of condolences to the family of former national football team captain, Joaquim “JJ” João.

In the message, cited by Folha de Maputo, Nyusi says that with the death of João, a national football star had left us forever, a true labourer of the ball and a leader on the pitch who mastered an extraordinary talent with unique discipline and stoicism, who never tarnished the image of the sport and maintained his exemplary conduct off the field.

“His strong leadership earned him the trust of colleagues and coaches, who chose him as captain of all the teams he played with since the Ferroviario de Quelimane , the Ferroviario de Maputo and Maxaquene. It was in the national team where his accomplished qualities of leadership and as a player were most noted. Joaquim João filled millions of Mozambicans with joy and calmed wounded hearts, instilled pride in belonging to this country with his playing, either wearing the national team sweater or as a coach, sports official, or teacher of the younger ones to whom he conveyed the mystical ways of never bending to any opponent,” the president wrote.

In his message, Nyusi says that he believes that the national sport and Mozambique in general bears a debt of gratitude that will only be paid if his example inspires other Mozambicans to maintain his legacy, winning trophies in football and in sport in general and making stadiums once again a magnet for harmony and fair play, to the glory of the national team and all others.

Joaquim Joao died late on Friday afternoon at Inhambane provincial hospital, where he was admitted the previous week. According to a source close to the family, ‘Jota Jota’ had been ill for a few months, while still coaching at Ferroviario de Maputo and with the senior team at Ferroviario de Inhambane, to which he was most closely linked.

“He had been complaining of health problems for some time and had improved recently, but the day before yesterday he was found collapsed in the bathroom at his home and taken to hospital,” said the paper’s source.

The same source also told A Bola that a group of Jota Jota’s former colleagues in the national team tried to have him transferred to Maputo for treatment, but his doctors advised against it.

Joaquim Joao was last seen in public during the Mozambique Football Federation elections, where he appeared as a supporter of former finance minister Manuel Chang.

Source: A Bola