Teko free to leave Downs

Teko Modise (below) is free to find himself a new club after Mamelodi Sundowns announced yesterday that they had agreed to release the 34-year-old midfielder from his contract.

“Mamelodi Sundowns has decided to release Teko Modise from his contractual obligations in order for him to negotiate a good contract for himself at this stage of his football career,” read a Sundowns statement.

“Mamelodi Sundowns is grateful to Teko for his many years of loyal service to the club and wishes him everything of the very best.”

Modise joined Sundowns in January 2011 from Orlando Pirates, and helped them win the Absa Premiership in 2013/14 and 2015/16, as well as the 2016 Caf Champions League.

Even at his age, Modise is likely to be in high demand, with a source telling The Citizen earlier this month that he could end up back at Pirates.

“He might be going back. But his move there may depend on whether Pirates manage to get Steven Pienaar as they need an experienced campaigner to lead the team next season. Teko is willing to go back because he never won anything with them and would like to change that,” said the source.

Pirates could certainly do with some wise old heads in their squad after a dreadful season that saw them finish 11th in the league, and ended with them being thrashed 4-1 by SuperSport United in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final.

Modise first joined Pirates from SuperSport United in 2007, after which Gavin Hunt’s Matsatsantsa went on to win three league titles in a row between 2007 and 2010. After he left Pirates in January 2011, Bucs won the league in 2010/11 and 2011/12 prompting. speculation over whether Modise, despite his individual talent, would ever win a Premiership title. That all changed at Sundowns with Modise scoring six league goals as the Brazilians won the 2013/14 title.