Teko ‘the General’ Modise is one of the best footballers South Africa has ever produced. But life wasn’t always kind.
At eight years old, Teko was kicked out of his home for the very thing that would catapult him to stardom – football. Teko had a tough battle to the top. After a series of contractual battles that saw him passed from team to team, he would get his big break when he was signed to SuperSport United, a premier league team.
On the football field, Teko’s contribution, class and character will always be memorable. Modise slowly changed from being just another talented young footballer to becoming an iconic and colossal brand, and he did it all with guts and determination, by standing on his own two feet.
They just don’t make footballers like Teko anymore. His career has spanned over 16 years at the time of writing and in that time he has, remarkably, only received one red card.
At the height of his career Teko Modise was playing for Orlando Pirates, driving an Aston Martin and about to represent the country in the 2010 World Cup. In the same year he went through a messy and public divorce, and developed a nasty drinking habit. It was during this downward spiral that Teko was approached by a powerful medicine man – a king from the Congo, offering to fix his problems.
2014 was a turning point, where the curse of Teko was finally broken and Mamelodi Sundowns won the ABSA Premier League. Teko now plays as a midfielder for Cape Town City in the Premier Soccer League.
The Curse of Teko Modise is now available at Exclusive Books and retails for R200.00.