‘I sold three of my four cars’ – Pirates legend

This man knows what football money really is. Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Teko Modise has given a picture of his past extravagances with the Rand, before eventually coming to his senses.

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RICH MAN AT MAMELODI SUNDOWNS AFTER ORLANDO PIRATES

After shooting to superstardom as a Buccaneer in the 2011 season, the former SuperSport United star probably had no idea what his bank lifestyle would look like as a Sundowns player.

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According to Modise, his earnings at Kabo Yellow allowed him to spend too excessive money on cars, apartments, and clothes.

‘I downgraded my lifestyle, and by that, I mean I scaled down on what I was spending. I got a smaller apartment,” Modise said via iDiskiTimes.

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“I sold three of the four cars I had and instead of blowing R50 000 on sneakers, I would just get one pair. But people started whispering that I no longer had money and as a result I had just one friend left,” The “General” added.

‘That’s why I was able to adjust to moving to Cape Town City – what I earned there compared to my salary at Mamelodi Sundowns was chalk and cheese.

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“I was one of the highest earners at Sundowns and with bonuses, I could still survive when I joined a new club. I learnt the hard way.

DEPRESSION IN THE GAME

Modise, who was helped by football to escape abject poverty, concluded to reveal that he was battling something deeper than what we all observed through our naked eyes.

“In football we don’t talk about coping with depression – I went and bought a car because I was depressed,” the former City Pillars midfielder added.

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“I felt the need to be loved and accepted. A wiser me wouldn’t go and buy material things to make myself feel good. That was a bad decision,’ he admits.

‘I thought the financial flexibility I had would fill the void – it was about trying to belong. I had no business buying a car that cost me R22 000 a month. But the best education is experience. What I had done taught me a lot about finances in general,” Modise concluded.

You can find more articles from Siseko Gwegwe here.