Teko book opens up on his bizarre experiences
Player had tough time after 2010 World Cup Jose prays for Lukaku’s boots to fire again
THE new book on Teko Modise alleges he was stalked by a cult-like secret society then gave R50 000 to a “Congo king” sangoma at his lowest ebb when he was at Orlando Pirates and dreams of a move overseas were not materialising.
In two chapters dedicated to a more bizarre period in Modise’s life it is asserted that after a ritual by the “Congo king” in which ornaments began speaking‚ the former Bafana Bafana midfield-general was given a live rabbit.
The R50 000 he paid to the witchdoctor was then burned before his eyes.
The book describes a dark period soon after the 2010 World Cup where Modise fell out with his Pirates teammates and was missing training sessions as he turned to drink.
At that time he was contacted by a woman named “Melissa” who knew intimate details about his daily life.
Melissa called Modise: “Every. Single. Day. For two years.
“Some days‚ she would call Teko to tell him not to take a particular route when driving to training.
“Some days she would call him to advise against purchasing something and some days she would call Teko to tell him what was going on in his mind.
“She would never call Teko when he was in his house.
“However‚ every time he drove out his gate‚ he would receive a call from the same private number.”
One day Modise was warned not to go to a party of friend and then Kaizer Chiefs right-back Siboniso Gaxa.
“‘If you do‚ your car will give you problems when you wake up in the morning’.”
Modise went and the next morning his new BMW M3 had been “van- dalised beyond recognistion … Someone had taken a sharp object and scratched the paint off.
“They had engraved all sorts of insults‚ swear words and phallic symbols.”
Melissa told Modise about an “organisation” who wanted him to join them because they “need a soccer player”.
They guaranteed him a lifetime of wealth.
His situation in his career was so desperate he thought about it.
He followed directions to a church “in-between nothing and nowhere. … There were a number of people there‚ all of them white people and dressed in black”.
Later Modise was told to go to a bank and withdraw all the money from an account he thought was empty.
He got to an ATM and found that R100 000 had been deposited in the account‚ but was nervous and only withdrew R1 000.
Soon after the footballer had blown off Melissa and the “organisation”‚ the book says in its next chapter‚ he was contacted by a “king from Congo”.
He went to the king’s expensive house in Houghton on various occasions‚ on one where a ritual was performed where “Teko did as he was told and closed his eyes.
“The chanting from the
“As the chanting got louder Teko realised that there was not only the one voice in the room … Teko realised the other voices were coming from the ornaments and sculptures.”
The king then gave Modise a “gift” of a “white rabbit”‚ pulled from a box that had been shown to be empty.
Modise paid the king R50 000‚ changed into dollars‚ which an attendant poured gasoline over and burnt.
“That was the final straw for Teko. … He realised that none of these people could help him. Only he could help himself.”
Modise‚ 34‚ is winding down his career at Cape Town City.
The Curse of Teko Modise‚ written by Nikolaos Kirkins‚ has been published by Jacana Media. — DDC king intensified. MANCHESTER United manager Jose Mourinho is confident Romelu Lukaku’s problems in front of goal will come to an end – just as soon as he secures a new boot deal.
Lukaku laid on a goal for Anthony Martial in United’s 4-2 win at Watford on Tuesday, but squandered three good opportunities and has now scored just once in his last 11 appearances.
The Belgium striker is playing in plain black boots because he is currently between boot contracts and Mourinho joked the goals would start flowing again once he had found himself a new deal.
“I think he needs a big contract with boots because in this moment he doesn’t have a contract with any brand,” Mourinho told journalists.
“That’s why he’s playing with the black boots. He needs a brand to go there and give him the right boots and pay him the right money, so he goes back to [scoring] goals.
“But jokes apart, he works amazingly well for the team. I would never, never blame a player like him for an easy chance that he missed. Never.
“With me he knows he doesn’t have that pressure. Amazing player, amazing professional, great ambition, great colleague. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
One player who had laced up his shooting boots was Ashley Young, whose brace against his former club set United en route to a win that left them five points below Premier League leaders Manchester City.
He opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a crisp effort and then left Mourinho open-mouthed in the United dugout with a magnificent 25metre free-kick that curled into the top-left corner.
“I was surprised that Paul [Pogba] gave him permission. I was not surprised with his shot,” said Mourinho, explaining his reaction.
“He’s playing well. I know what he can do for us, all the positions he can be useful for us.
“This left-back position I think is adapted to him and probably in this stage of his career, where he has the maturity and the tactical experience, it’s good. He’s playing really well.”
Martial’s goal put United 3-0 up after 32 minutes, but Watford struck twice late on through substitute Troy Deeney and Abdoulaye Doucoure before a Jesse Lingard solo goal settled the visitors’ nerves.
Mourinho, who claimed his side could have scored “seven or eight”, said Watford’s second-half revival should stand as a warning to his players about never easing up.
“I think we had mistakes in the box and that cost us two goals,” said the United manager, who takes his team to fourth-placed Arsenal on Saturday.
“Maybe it’s a good lesson and it’s good to have lessons without losing points, so the next time you are winning 2-0 or 3-0, I think the players will remember that football is football.”
Watford head coach Marco Silva took issue with his Portuguese compatriot Mourinho’s suggestion United could have won by a landslide.
“I think it seems harsh for eve he said. “It’s Jose’s opinion. I didn’t see the same game.”
Deeney’s goal, on his return from a three-game ban, arrived from the penalty spot in the 77th minute after a rash foul on substitute Roberto Pereyra by Marcos Rojo.
Centre-back Rojo had been booked in the first half and Silva was aggrieved that referee Jon Moss elected not to show him a second yellow card.
“When we scored the first goal, we were already better,” said Silva, whose side remain eighth.
“We scored the penalty and at that moment it looked like a second yellow card for Marcos Rojo. If it’s 11 against 10 it would be difficult for them.
“It was difficult anyway because we scored the second, but if it’s 11 against 10 it would be even better.”— AFP