Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Siphiwe Mkhonza has revealed his side of the story after Teko Modise had claimed Amakhosi sent him to convince him to sign for the Glamour Boys.
Modise had discussed Mkhonza’s role in his decision to reject an offer from Chiefs, despite supporting them while growing up, in a wide-ranging interview on the MacG podcast last week.
He said instead of sending club officials Chiefs had sent his former Ria Stars teammate to talk to him, but Mkhonza insisted in his side of the story that he wasn’t sent by Chiefs but instead by his agent Jazzman Mahlakgane.
“Ok, obvious I let it go because I can’t say ‘no, Chiefs didn’t send me’. I think he’s forgotten, I was the one who recruited him to join Jazzman Mahlakgane, the manager – not Chiefs,” Mkhonza told iDiski Times in an exclusive interview.
“One thing that I’ll never, never talk about Chiefs, Chiefs professionalism is one of the best in the country. I think I’ve played for eight teams but I’ve never seen such professionalism.
“I know that it’s also in Sundowns, they are doing so well in that regard of professionalism but Chiefs… Because I’ve played for Chiefs, I know the culture, in terms of professionalism they are number one.
“I was like, ok let me not bash Teko on social media but I can never go and find a player for any club, I’m a professional myself, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Mkhonza confirmed that it was Jazzman, who wanted Mkhonza’s help to convince Modise of joining his camp after he heard of some issues between Modise and his then-agent Alex Bondarenko.
“Yes. Jazzman said to me ‘you played with Teko at Ria Stars, can you chat to him?’ Because Teko when Ria Stars was sold, he went to City Pillars, remember,” he explained.
“So the game that I chatted to Teko was Chiefs vs City Pillars, it was a cup game, if I’m not mistaken. It was that ABSA Cup, remember that ABSA cup? So I spoke to Teko and I said ‘no, Teko, Jazzman wants to have a chat with you’.
“That time his manager was Alex Bondarenko. They were having a clash with Alex Bondarenko and Jazzman said ‘speak to Teko, I want him in my stable’.
“Remember, I’m Jazzman’s first player, so some of the players in Jazzman’s stable we spoke. He said, let’s have a meeting with this and this player, that is how most of the players have joined.
“But for me finding a player for Chiefs, ai never, definitely no (laughs).“
Jazzman did indeed become Modise agent till the day he retired but the former Bafana Bafana international still never moved to Chiefs.
Story by David Kappel (@kappilino).
You can read the complete Mkhonza interview, where he also chats about his career rise from living on the street to winning a PSL title with Amakhosi as well as the Covid-19 outbreak at Naturena, in this week’s iDiski Times.
