Mama Joy prays for Mam’Mkhize!

MZANSI'S national teams' super fan and Royal AM loyal supporter, Mama Joy, hopes and prays for Mam'Mkhize's club, Royal AM, to resolve its issues and return to the field soon.

Following suspension by the PSL of all Royal AM fixtures in the Betway Premiership and Nedbank Cup until further notice, Mama Joy was left without a PSL team to cheer for.

This led her to support Mamelodi Sundowns against Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Tshwane on Saturday, 8 February.

Royal AM, co-owned by well-known businesswoman and reality TV star Shauwn "Mam'Mkhize" Mkhize and her son Andile Mpisane, is currently under the curatorship of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and is struggling to play their games and pay the players and staff.

This situation came after the team's funds were frozen following a KZN Local Division of the High Court granting a preservation order and a search and seizure warrant in the case involving the Commissioner of SARS versus Shauwn Mkhize and others in late 2024.

Mama Joy, whose real name is Joy Chauke (53), said she prays for Royal AM's problems to be resolved soon.

"I just pray for the team to be back on the field and play suspended soccer matches. As the fans, we don't care what is happening in the club's offices, but our work is to support the club on the field. We are praying to God to bring our team back to the field," she said.

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On Saturday, Mama Joy faced criticism from soccer fans accusing her of hypocrisy when she was seen supporting Sundowns against her former team, Pirates.

She was seen wearing her Bafana Bafana yellow jersey, which resembled a Sundowns jersey, leading many to conclude that she had left Mam'Mkhize's club for Downs.

"I'm still a loyal Royal fan, and I went to Sundowns and Pirates soccer match just to get joy because I love soccer, and on that day, I just chose to support Sundowns for that day only. I was not wearing a Sundowns' jersey, but I was wearing a Bafana Bafana jersey because I was also supporting Bafana Bafana players who play for both teams," she said.

Mama Joy, who left Pirates as its loyal fan in 2021 after supporting it for a long time, added that she was not going to support Bucs because she doesn't regret her decision to leave them.