Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Sipho Khuse remembers how he recruited legendary former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper John Tlale for his club earlier in their careers.
According to Khuse, he was still playing for QwaQwa Stars (now Free State Stars) in those days in Mzansi's topflight, while Tlale had been with Ratanang Maholosiane in the First Division.
Tlale had previously been on the books of Bloemfontein Celtic but had his progress at the Mangaung outfit halted due to a shoulder injury which kept him out of the game for almost three years.
"I was the one who recruited John Tlale for QwaQwa Stars and we ended up being teammates. I stole him from Ratanang Maholosiane and took him straight to Stars. Ratanang Maholosiane was playing in the First Division in those days and Tlale came to watch one of our training sessions this one day and we were training in the morning. I didn't know him personally and he approached me after the training session just to introduce himself and to tell me where he was coming from and things like that. Coincidentally, it turned out that he was coming from Meloding in Virginia where my wife also comes from," said Khuse.
"That's when he also told me that he was playing for Ratanang Maholosiane and I think it was in the late 80s or early 90s. I asked him if he would be interested in joining Stars and he said yes. I was staying in a four-roomed house, and he was staying in the club house. On the same night, we went to fetch his belongings without anyone seeing us. He came and stayed with me, and we became teammates as he reported for training at QwaQwa Stars the next morning. Serame Letsoaka was the club's captain at the time," he added.
