Teko Modise facts for kids
Modise playing with South Africa at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Teko Tsholofelo Modise | ||
| Date of birth | 22 December 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Meadowlands, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Cape Town City (staff) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Coventry (South Africa) | |||
| City Rebels | |||
| Ria Stars | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2002 | Ria Stars | 6 | (0) |
| 2002–2006 | City Pillars | 66 | (21) |
| 2006–2007 | SuperSport United | 33 | (10) |
| 2007–2011 | Orlando Pirates | 93 | (30) |
| 2011–2017 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 145 | (4) |
| 2017–2019 | Cape Town City | 20 | (1) |
| Total | 363 | (58) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2012 | South Africa | 66 | (10) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Teko Tsholofelo Modise (born 22 December 1982) is a famous South African former professional footballer. People called him The General and Techno M because of his amazing skills on the field. He played as a midfielder and was even a captain for the Bafana Bafana (South Africa's national team). After he stopped playing, he joined the staff at Cape Town City Football Club.
Many people think Modise is one of the best players ever in the PSL. He started his career in smaller leagues with teams like Ria Stars and City Pillars. While playing for City Pillars, he won the Player of the Season award. This helped him move to a top team, SuperSport United, in 2006.
The next year, he joined Orlando Pirates. He played there for six years. During this time, he won two PSL Footballer of the Year awards. He also helped his team win two club trophies. At Pirates, he got the nickname "the General" because he was so good at controlling the game. He quickly became a regular player for the national team.
In 2011, he moved to Mamelodi Sundowns. He spent another six years there and won five more club titles. He was also the team captain for the 2012–13 season. In 2017, he decided to join Cape Town City. He played there until he retired in 2019.
Modise also played 66 games for the South Africa national team between 2007 and 2012. He played for his country in big tournaments like the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Teko Modise was born in Meadowlands, South Africa. He is the youngest of three children. His mother raised him in Diepkloof, Soweto. His father introduced him to football when he was very young. His father was a fan of Kaizer Chiefs. Teko lost contact with his father when he was ten years old.
As he grew up, he played for local amateur teams called Coventry and City Rebels. When he was seventeen, he joined Ria Stars.
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Ria Stars
Modise joined Ria Stars in 1999. A former player, Steve Mnguni, noticed his talent. He played his first professional game in the PSL on 2 September 2001. It was a 1–1 draw against Bidvest Wits. This was his only season with Ria Stars. The club stopped playing after the PSL bought them out.
Playing for City Pillars
After Ria Stars, Modise signed with City Pillars. This team was in the Mvela Golden League. He played over 60 league games for them from 2002 to 2006. He scored many goals during this time. In May 2006, he won the league's Player of the Season award. He also helped City Pillars reach the last 16 in the Nedbank Cup. They lost to Kaizer Chiefs, even though Modise scored two goals.
Time at SuperSport United
In August 2006, Modise returned to the PSL. He signed with SuperSport United. The team's manager was Pitso Mosimane, who was also an assistant coach for Bafana Bafana. Modise stayed with SuperSport United for one season. Then, in 2007, he moved to their rivals, Orlando Pirates.
Success with Orlando Pirates
Modise signed a three-year deal with Orlando Pirates. In his first season, he won the first-ever PSL Footballer of the Year award. He was also named SAFA Footballer of the Year. The next season, he helped Pirates finish second in the league. They also reached the final of the Telkom Knockout. Because of his great performance, he won the PSL Footballer of the Year and SAFA Footballer of the Year awards again. He also won the Player's Player of the Season award.
Many foreign clubs noticed Modise's success. Teams like Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Man City, and Wigan were interested in him. However, his contract did not have a special clause that would let him leave easily. The club refused to sell him. This caused problems between him and the coach, Ruud Krol, and chairman, Irvin Khoza. In 2011, he was suspended for not attending training. He later said he did this because of how the club treated him.
Moving to Mamelodi Sundowns
After the issues at Pirates, many thought Modise would leave. On 27 January 2011, he signed with rival team Mamelodi Sundowns. When Pitso Mosimane became the head coach at Sundowns, Modise was made club captain in his second season. He later passed the captain's armband to Alje Schut. However, he helped the team win the 2013-14 Premier Soccer League trophy. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win against SuperSport United on 8 May 2014, which secured the title.
In the 2014–15 season, he played 32 games and scored eight goals. He was named the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament and the PSL Midfielder of the Season. Modise played over 150 games for Sundowns. In his last season, he was part of the team that won the CAF Champions League. They beat Egyptian team Zamalek 3–1 over two games.
On 27 June 2017, Mamelodi Sundowns released him from his contract. During his time there, he won six trophies. These included two PSL titles, the Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout, CAF Champions League, and CAF Super Cup.
Joining Cape Town City
Modise was a free agent for less than a month. On 12 July 2017, he signed with another PSL team, Cape Town City. He played his first game on 23 August. He came on as a substitute for Mpho Matsi. He scored Cape Town City's third goal in a 3–1 win against Platinum Stars.
International Career for South Africa
Teko Modise had not played for South Africa's younger teams before. He made his debut for the South Africa national team on 26 May 2007. This was against Malawi in the 2007 COSAFA Cup. He scored his first goals for his country against Mauritius during the same tournament. South Africa went on to win the tournament. Modise's great play also earned him the Player of the Tournament award. The next year, he was chosen for the national team's squad for the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana.
In 2009, Modise was picked for South Africa's squad for the 2009 Confederations Cup. On 14 June 2009, he won the Budweiser Man of the Match award. This was for his performance in the opening game, a win against Iraq. On 24 May 2010, he captained South Africa in his 50th game against Bulgaria. He was the 27th player to captain the nation. He also reached 50 games faster than anyone else. He scored his tenth international goal three days later. This was in a 2–1 friendly win against Colombia.
He was then chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which South Africa hosted. However, he faced some criticism for his play in the first two matches. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira did not play him in the next game against France. South Africa won that game 2–1.
Modise's last game for South Africa was on 14 November 2012 against Poland. In total, he played 66 games for the national team and scored 10 goals.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring from playing at the end of the 2018–19 season, Modise continued to work at Cape Town City. He worked in the club's offices.
In September 2021, Modise returned to Chloorkop, where he had a very successful time as a player. He became an ambassador for Sundowns, along with his former teammate Tiyani 'Shuga' Mabunda. Modise also works as a matchday analyst for SuperSport TV.
Outside Football Activities
Brand Endorsements
When he played for Orlando Pirates, Modise became an ambassador for big companies. These included McDonald's for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also worked with Coca-Cola, Nike, Telkom, and Samsung. While sponsored by Nike, Modise was one of only ten global stars chosen to wear a special pink Mercurial SuperFly boot. Other famous players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba also wore these boots. In 2015, Modise left Nike and signed a deal with Adidas.
In 2016, Modise became a brand ambassador for the car company Volkswagen. He received a 2016 Golf GTI. After moving to Cape Town City, he was endorsed by Lexus.
Personal Life
In 2007, after joining Orlando Pirates, there were reports that Modise wanted to find his father. He later said these reports were not true. However, the news got a lot of attention. A man named Kenneth Ngobani claimed he had raised Modise after his stepfather had made him leave his home. He said Modise's mother did not visit him then. He also claimed he helped Modise become the soccer player he is.
Modise married Felicia in 2010. They had a daughter together. They divorced in 2013. After his divorce, Modise started a relationship with model Lizelle Tabane. They got engaged, but the engagement ended in 2015.
In October 2021, Modise married influencer Koketso "Kokieberry" Chipane. They had a traditional wedding in 2018.
Honours and Achievements
Mamelodi Sundowns
- Premier Soccer League: 2013–14, 2015–16
- Nedbank Cup: 2015
- Telkom Knockout: 2015
- CAF Champions League: 2016
- CAF Super Cup: 2017
Orlando Pirates
- MTN 8: 2010
- Telkom Charity Cup: 2008, 2009
Cape Town City
- MTN 8: 2018
South Africa
- COSAFA Cup: 2007
Individual Awards
- Mvela Golden League Player of the Season: 2005–06
- PSL Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2009
- COSAFA Cup Player of the Tournament: 2007
- PSL Midfielder of the Season: 2015
- Nedbank Cup: Player of the Tournament: 2015
- Football Player of the decade - RSA: Setshaba Thamaga Independent Awards: 2017
See also
In Spanish: Teko Modise para niños
