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The Curse of Teko Modise
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. After a series of contractual battles that saw him passed from team to team in Limpopo, he got his big break when he was signed to SuperSport United, a premier-league team. At the height of his career he played for the Orlando Pirates, becoming the superstar of South African football. His downward spiral came 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. This story tells it all, from poverty to fame, from love to divorce. It is the story of 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.
168 pages, Paperback
Published October 19, 2017
43 people are currently reading
737 people want to read
About the author
Nikolaos Kirkinis
5 books14 followersNikolaos Kirkinis is the author of The Curse of Teko Modise, a well-celebrated title. His second book, Strike a Rock - The Thembi Kgatlana Story was selected for the 2021 Exclusive Books Homebru promotion. He has an honors degree in International Studies. Kirkinis has worked as a freelance writer for Soccer Laduma. He lives in Johannesburg.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 30, 2018
"The Curse Of Teko Modise", ja neh! I loved the cover, the title, not so sure about it. When we continuously make bad decisions, are we really cursed? A topic for another day.
Nikolaos takes us through Teko's life, from his beginnings, origins and we see the importance of family. The groundedness which a family provides. Such a sad account of Teko's earlier nomadic life caused by parents who really were not up to the responsibility of taking care of a child. Providing shelter, food, security and the warmth and care and love a child requires to thrive. The world is hard and harsher to the children, especially the children, who are forced to navigate it on their own.
As a child, when you have to worry about what you are going to eat, where you are going to sleep and the how, sleeping arrangements, that really takes a toll on you. Your development is stunted. Your social skills do not develop. Your heart becomes harder. But, football, football provided Teko with a sense of belonging. An outlet to dream the impossible. To do the impossible. To become the impossible.
Throughout this book, Nikolaos handles Teko's narrative with sensitivity. Teko was not so much cursed, but kept on making a series of bad decisions and they caught up with him. When you do not show up for your team, your team will stop showing up for you.
Throughout his tribulations, Teko never stopped believing in himself. Though his vision was clear, he couldn't help but get derailed over and over again by his decisions but eventually discernment caught up with him.
So many lessons to take away from his account. Money and fame too young in life, without proper guidance and support from family, is a sure way to disastrous endings. Teko was very lucky that he had support from all quarters and one person who believed in and loved him unconditionally. "The Curse Of Teko Modise" is ubuntu in motion. Teko found fathers and confidantes in a lot of the men who were instrumental in shaping his career and path to manhood.
This book is a lesson in perseverance, endurance and unconditional love. This book is a lesson on how we can create our own families. If we can just step long enough out of the myopic nuclear family perception, we can create families for ourselves, shaped in our own image.
Just reading about familiar places. Meadowlands, Orlando East, Dobsonville, Limpopo, Tembisa gave me such a fuzzy feeling. Smells of home with a tinge of sadness. Waking up early, before dawn, to catch 3 or 4 taxis in order to be there on time, man, apartheid was out to destroy the black child. A lot of groundwork still has to be done post democracy. The African child still suffers like before, more so, because the people who are in power know, they've lived this life, but are doing very little to ensure that the black child is launched properly.
Teko Modise flew too close to the sun and got burnt. He learnt his lessons and continues to shape and reshape himself into a better football player, a teammate, a father, a friend and a valuable member of society. Teko's account is a stark reminder that footballing has a very short shelf-life. It is up to a pro player to create a sustainable wealth plan. Build something. Capitalise on these numerous ambassadorship opportunities. Take yourself seriously. You are more than the goals, passes, dribbles. You are a brand. A moneymaking machine. Go get yours...some education...knowledge is power...
Nikolaos takes us through Teko's life, from his beginnings, origins and we see the importance of family. The groundedness which a family provides. Such a sad account of Teko's earlier nomadic life caused by parents who really were not up to the responsibility of taking care of a child. Providing shelter, food, security and the warmth and care and love a child requires to thrive. The world is hard and harsher to the children, especially the children, who are forced to navigate it on their own.
As a child, when you have to worry about what you are going to eat, where you are going to sleep and the how, sleeping arrangements, that really takes a toll on you. Your development is stunted. Your social skills do not develop. Your heart becomes harder. But, football, football provided Teko with a sense of belonging. An outlet to dream the impossible. To do the impossible. To become the impossible.
Throughout this book, Nikolaos handles Teko's narrative with sensitivity. Teko was not so much cursed, but kept on making a series of bad decisions and they caught up with him. When you do not show up for your team, your team will stop showing up for you.
Throughout his tribulations, Teko never stopped believing in himself. Though his vision was clear, he couldn't help but get derailed over and over again by his decisions but eventually discernment caught up with him.
So many lessons to take away from his account. Money and fame too young in life, without proper guidance and support from family, is a sure way to disastrous endings. Teko was very lucky that he had support from all quarters and one person who believed in and loved him unconditionally. "The Curse Of Teko Modise" is ubuntu in motion. Teko found fathers and confidantes in a lot of the men who were instrumental in shaping his career and path to manhood.
This book is a lesson in perseverance, endurance and unconditional love. This book is a lesson on how we can create our own families. If we can just step long enough out of the myopic nuclear family perception, we can create families for ourselves, shaped in our own image.
Just reading about familiar places. Meadowlands, Orlando East, Dobsonville, Limpopo, Tembisa gave me such a fuzzy feeling. Smells of home with a tinge of sadness. Waking up early, before dawn, to catch 3 or 4 taxis in order to be there on time, man, apartheid was out to destroy the black child. A lot of groundwork still has to be done post democracy. The African child still suffers like before, more so, because the people who are in power know, they've lived this life, but are doing very little to ensure that the black child is launched properly.
Teko Modise flew too close to the sun and got burnt. He learnt his lessons and continues to shape and reshape himself into a better football player, a teammate, a father, a friend and a valuable member of society. Teko's account is a stark reminder that footballing has a very short shelf-life. It is up to a pro player to create a sustainable wealth plan. Build something. Capitalise on these numerous ambassadorship opportunities. Take yourself seriously. You are more than the goals, passes, dribbles. You are a brand. A moneymaking machine. Go get yours...some education...knowledge is power...
December 17, 2017
I have no words, this is a brilliant story. Brilliant, yes that's the only word I have for it.
January 14, 2019
The book is horribly written. Just as you get into the flow of a chapter and the scenarios and characters introduced, the chapter ends. It actually feels like a bunch of news articles threaded together. Despite that, Teko's life story somehow saves. To those not aware of South African football and township life, you could be mistaken to think the book is a work of fiction. As a Sundowns fan I have watched Donadoni, the General, many times in awe and celebration during his tenure at the brasilians. To think he achieved so much given how much he had gone through in life is amazing.
May 29, 2018
From the day this book was released, I looked forward to reading it and learning more about the football star that Teko Modise is besides what I know of him. I was one of the fanatics who would go to orlando stadium just to watch his silky football skills. I am a fan of his. The book left me with a lot of questions from the title to its main content. I guess the saying "Don't judge the book by it's cover" flows well with this one. There is nothing more in it that a sports fan can find interesting. It reads like a story book.
January 6, 2022
The book took me longer than what I expected to complete but it was a good read.
Some of the reasons it took long is the heaviness I felt reading about Teko’s childhood and upbringing. This affected how Teko viewed himself which was sad for me the most part.
The mind is powerful tool and if left wandering might result in one’s self destruction.. However Teko making it through all the challenges he faced and being able to write a story is amazing!! Kudos for that!!
There’s so many lessons and history in the book, loved it. As a person with zero interest in soccer, the history of the South African fraternity was well written and not overpowering. My understanding of soccer has immensely improved due to the book.
The lessons learnt personally from the book are many! Absolutely loved it!
Some of the reasons it took long is the heaviness I felt reading about Teko’s childhood and upbringing. This affected how Teko viewed himself which was sad for me the most part.
The mind is powerful tool and if left wandering might result in one’s self destruction.. However Teko making it through all the challenges he faced and being able to write a story is amazing!! Kudos for that!!
There’s so many lessons and history in the book, loved it. As a person with zero interest in soccer, the history of the South African fraternity was well written and not overpowering. My understanding of soccer has immensely improved due to the book.
The lessons learnt personally from the book are many! Absolutely loved it!
December 29, 2017
Totally enjoyed this read
Read
November 20, 2019It is a nice book
Want to read
February 6, 2020A nice book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2021
great!!!
September 3, 2021
Very big fan of Teko. The book though was not written as well as it could have been
January 22, 2022
Yet to read
January 29, 2023
It's a great story about the resilience of our football legend. Which gives hope to the upcoming young star.
Read
May 15, 2019there is too much light in the book
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews