The six-time OFC Champions League winners’ player Keryn Jordan played under Igesund during his club career in South Africa.
Igesund mentored Jordan while at Manning Rangers in 1997, and it was also the year in which the Durban-based team won the inaugural Premier Soccer League.
Jordan passed away in October last year after a strenuous battle with cancer, and is regarded as a footballing hero in New Zealand. He was a born goalscorer with an eye for goal, and often popped up at the right place at the right time.
In 2004 he moved to New Zealand with his family, and went on to score an amazing 76 goals in 100 matches for Auckland City. After niggling knee injuries, he retired from football in 2010.
Igesund was given an Auckland City pennant, a jersey Jordan wore last for the club and a club tie today. The coach spoke out with emotion after the club’s treasurer, Stephen Vuksich, handed him the tokens.
The Bafana Bafana coach also said that he felt honoured by the gesture and that he wants to share the gesture with Jordans’ son by saying, “I felt really touched by the gesture. I am speechless. I am going to share this with Keryn’s son.
This is a huge honour because he (Keryn) used to tell all and sundry here that I was his greatest mentor, hence the club decided to give me this token of appreciation,” he said according to a press release by the South Africa Football Association.
The club Jordan starred for, Auckland City was voted Oceania Club of The Decade from 2001 to 2010, where Jordan vastly contributed.
Bafana Bafana are in New Zealand to play the All Whites on Friday 30 May. They earlier drew a friendly with Australia 1-1 four days ago.