On this day in 1955, Jomo Sono was born
Other well-known people who were born on this day are mixed martial artist Travis Browne and actor David Hasselhoff.
Jomo Sono was born on this day, 17 July, in 1955.
His real name is Ephraim Matsilela Sono but he was sometimes referred to as the Black Prince of South Africa, Bra J or Mjomana.
He is a South African soccer club owner and coach, and used to play soccer himself.
Sono became famous for his all-round ability, dribbling and accurate passing skills.
He was given the nickname Jomo by an Orlando Pirate fan, who saw in him the same leadership qualities as those of Jomo Kenyatta, the then president of Kenya.
After playing for Orlando Pirates, he moved to the USA in 1977 where he played for the New York Cosmos.
In 1978, he moved to the Colorado Caribous. At the end of the season, the Caribous became the Atlanta Chiefs. Sono remained with the club where one of his teammates was another South African soccer star of the time, Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe.
He later played for the Toronto Blizzard, and taught and gave demonstrations at Clemson University Soccer Camp for youths.
After his soccer career in the USA had ended, he returned to South Africa, where he purchased the Highlands Park Club in Johannesburg in 1982, renaming it Jomo Cosmos in honour of his former team. The club went on to achieve several successes.
Sono has also taken a leading role in discovering and developing new football talent, especially from rural areas. Some of the players whom Sono recruited and then went on to play for the South African national team and European clubs include Philemon Masinga, Helman Mkhalele, Sizwe Motaung and Mark Fish.
In 1998, Sono was appointed as caretaker coach of Bafana Bafana just before the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Burkina Faso.
Other well-known people who were born on this day are mixed martial artist Travis Browne and actor David Hasselhoff.
