Teko Modise reveals how Kaizer Chiefs missed the chance to sign him and why he started disliking the club in South Africa

Sometimes in football, what doesn’t happen is just as fascinating as what does.

And for Teko Modise—one of South Africa’s most iconic footballers—there’s one “what if” that continues to linger: what if he had played for Kaizer Chiefs?

Though his name is forever linked to Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, Modise recently revealed that he always dreamed of donning the gold and black jersey of Amakhosi.

But that dream never came true—and not because he didn’t want it.

Chiefs Had the Chance But Never Followed Through

In a candid chat on the Izinja zeGame podcast, Modise shared how close he came to joining Kaizer Chiefs.

Surprisingly, he said it wasn’t Orlando Pirates that won him over straight away—it’s just that Chiefs never made a proper move.

“Irvin Khoza told me the vision at Pirates, and it made sense.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t say no—I would have gone to Chiefs if they had reached out first,” he admitted.

His first professional season in the Mvela League (now National First Division) saw his name rise quickly in football circles.

That’s when Bobby Motaung from Chiefs personally reached out.

“He said, ‘I want you at Chiefs.’ And I told him, ‘I’m ready whenever you are.’

But after that? Nothing. Five or six years went by and they never followed up.”

From Childhood Dreams to Growing Frustrations

For Modise, Kaizer Chiefs wasn’t just another club—it was personal. It was his childhood dream.

“I grew up watching Chiefs. Doctor Khumalo was my idol.

That was the team I wanted to play for, and I didn’t care about money. I knew that number ten jersey was there, waiting for me.

I even believed I could perform better than the players they had at the time,” he said.

But after years of silence, that dream started to fade—and even turned into disappointment.

“That’s when I started losing interest in Chiefs,” he admitted.

“I was ready. I was passionate. And they just didn’t show up.”

Imagine Modise in a Chiefs Jersey

It’s hard not to think about how different South African football history might look if Modise had joined Chiefs.

Picture the same dazzling performances he gave for Pirates and Sundowns—but this time in the gold and black of Amakhosi.

Fans still debate how much he could have added to that Chiefs squad during his prime.

Would they have been even more dominant? Would his legacy have looked different?