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 of football stardom. After a series of contractual battles that saw him passed from team to team in Limpopo, he would get his big break when he was signed to SuperSport United, a premier-league team.
At the height of his career he played for Orlando Pirates, becoming the superstar of South African football.

His downward spiral came around the time of the 2010 World Cup when he went through a messy and public divorce, and developed a nasty drinking habit. It was at this stage that Teko was approached by a powerful medicine man – a king from the Congo.

2016 was a turning point in his career, finally breaking the curse of Teko and winning the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns.

This story tells it all, from poverty to fame, from love to divorce. A fatherless father trying to make sense of parenthood and a man who never had money trying to make sense of an abundance of wealth and the evils it brings, all the while maintaining his status as the greatest South African footballer of the modern era.

About the author

Nikolaos Kirkinis was born and raised in Johannesburg. He studied at Stellenbosch University, obtaining an honour’s degree in International Studies. Since then Kirkinis has worked as a freelance writer for the biggest sports publication in Africa – Soccer Laduma.

The Curse of Teko Modise is published by Jacana Media