AMA lunch with football legend Andre Arendse

Our Founding Senior Partner, Greg Morris and Associate Partner, Ian Edwards meet for lunch with football legend Andre Arendse.
For those of you that may not be aware, Andre Arendse has represented South Africa 67 times having made his debut in 1995. With 67 Bafana Bafana caps and over 400 professional club level appearances, he still holds the South African record for 8 games without conceding a goal at the national level and has clocked up approximately 600 minutes of playtime. Andre was part of the squad that won the 1996 African Cup of Nations and later went on to play professionally for Oxford United and then Fulham F.C in the UK. As well as being part of the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad, and a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Andre retired from football in 2009 winning the Premier Soccer League title with SuperSport United.
During the lunch Andre spoke in depth about wanting to highlight the importance of effective financial planning to professionals in the football arena. As with many athletes, a footballer’s tenure can be as short as several seasons to a maximum of 15 years. And the average retirement age of a footballer (35), either by choice or as a result of injury, can leave them without an income over a number of years until they reach the traditional retirement age of 65 in South Africa. Many well-known retired sporting professionals (both men and women), are facing financial challenges – despite previous years of success playing in front of packed stadiums and enjoying great earnings at the time – as a result of insufficient savings during the span of their professional sports careers.
Following on from this invaluable meeting, Founding Senior Partner, Greg Morris, has personally committed to supporting Andre, with the support of the entire Austen Morris Associates Africa team, in his campaign to educate and assist professional sports players, irrespective of where they are in their career, on the importance of financial planning for their future. Andre is particularly passionate about creating awareness for young players on the importance of disciplined savings for their future, and is dedicated to ensuring their success both on and off the field.
Greg commented, “Andre is humble and a true gentleman, it is refreshing to see someone of his stature so committed to changing lives and leaving a legacy. AMA will do everything within its power to ensure Andre has the tools and resources to reach his goal in educating and supporting footballing (and hopefully other sports) professionals. Since 1994, we have been committed to the core values of trust, professionalism and partnership to the benefit of our clients around the world, resulting in the successful long-term relationships that are the foundation of Austen Morris Associates today.”
We are looking forward to this collaboration between AMA, Andre and the sporting community to ensure that everyone has the necessary knowledge, tools, and support to secure their financial wealth both now and in the future.
If you would like to learn more about ensuring and securing your own personal financial wealth for the future, contact Austen Morris Associates for more information.