Profile of Irvin Khosa

Dr Irvin Khoza was born on 27 January 1948 in Alexandra Township. Dr Khoza is a former student at South Africa’s famous Fort Hare University but did not complete his degree as he was allegedly expelled for anti-apartheid activities. 

A highly experienced soccer administrator, Dr Khoza is the chairperson of Orlando Pirates Football Club, one of South Africa’s biggest and famous football clubs, formed in 1937. In 1980, Dr Khoza was appointed as secretary of Orlando Pirates F.C. He seldom visits the Orlando Pirates dressing room, but he always does when his team plays against their long-time arch rivals, Kaizer Chiefs. 

His team Orlando Pirates is the only South African team to have won the prestigious and the most prized soccer tournament in the African continent, the now African Champions League Cup, when Pirates defeated Asec Mimosa of Ivory Coast in 1995. Orlando Pirates is currently the only football club in the southern hemisphere that has ever won the African Champions trophy. 

Dr Khoza is also chairperson of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) and was also a vice-president of the South African Football Association (Safa). As the chairperson of the PSL, he was instrumental in securing sponsors of the league such as the Absa Group Limited.

He was also the chairperson of the 2010 FIFA World CupTM Organising Committee South Africa from 2004 to 2010, which was tasked with, among other things, to ensure that South Africa adheres to the promises made to FIFA with regard to hosting a successful 2010 FIFA World CupTM. Khoza served as the chairperson of South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World CupTM bid team, which secured the right to host the 2010 FIFA World CupTM in South Africa. 

In 2004, he was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by the University of Zululand. The award was also in recognition of his involvement in sports development, following his contribution to help South Africa win the right to host the world’s largest sporting event in 2010.

In March 2009, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) honoured him with an inauguration as the newly appointed Honorary Colonel of Logistical Division of the SANDF. 

Following a successful FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009, Dr Khoza was invited and thanked by the South African Defence Military Command Council for excellent work done by him and Safa. 

We are proud to honour Dr Irvin Khoza with the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for his hard work and dedication in helping South Africa win the right to host the 2010 FIFA World CupTM, and for ensuring that the tournament becomes a success in the eyes of the entire football fraternity. He is also honoured for his contribution towards development and transformation of the game of soccer in South Africa.