Teenage Dladla, one of the greatest footballers to don the Kaizer Chiefs colours, recently visited Naturena for the first time in years, and reminisced about his playing days.
Through the late 1970s and 1980s Dladla, who famously wore the number 11 jersey, was a mainstay of the Chiefs team.
The Kwa-Thema-born legend was a serial winner, and was key to Chiefs’ league title victories in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984 and 1989.
Dladla was one of the Amakhosi legends who, at the invitation of the Club’s Sedibeng region of supporters, visited the Sharpeville home of Simon ‘Bull’ Lehoko.
Dladla said that he loved to express himself as a player, and feels this generation is too controlled.
“People tell me ‘when I look at you, you used to entertain us, we so loved you. The game you played in your era; you were our Messi’,” Dladla told the Kaizer Chiefs website.
“When I look at videos of me playing ‘eish, it’s trouble all the way’. People are just falling over at my feet. I loved to express myself. Nowadays, players are so controlled and are told what to do.
“But when I played, I knew I was the one who controlled the game. I knew my responsibility if I lost the ball. But I also knew my responsibility was to make the supporters happy, and the only way to do that was to win.
“I spent my whole career here at Kaizer Chiefs. The players I played with were like family, I learnt a lot from them. I became what I became because of Kaizer Chiefs. I’m called ‘Teenage Dladla’ today because of Kaizer Motaung.
“Now, it’s time for me to pay back and to thank him for what he has done for me.”
