Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Themba Zwane has revealed the influence that Teko Modise has had in his career, stretching back to their amateur days.
Zwane, who was discovered by Sundowns playing in the Philly's Games' annual tournament, has hailed the impact that former Sundowns midfielder Teko Modise has had in his career, as he recalled them playing in the same amateur team.
The Philly's Games tournament, which started on 19 December and will end next year on 2 January, is reportedly attended by around 13,000 spectators per day.
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Zwane, who is one of the high profile names attending the tournament that gave him his break in the professional ranks, has revealed that he used to play in the same amateur team as Modise, who was his senior, before he was recruited by former Sundowns scout Alex 'Barnes' Bapela, at the famous 'Kasi' tournament.
"The first time I saw Teko was at the Philly's Games, he was playing for Abarondoli and at that time I was playing for Abarondoli also," Zwane said on Metro FM Sports.
"But I knew that I won't play because (the likes of Teko are coming) but I (I didn't feel bad) because the only thing I liked was I'm part of them, that's all."
'Mshishi' eventually joined Sundowns officially in January 2011.Coincidentally, 'The General', as the former Orlando Pirates midfielder is known, had also just joined Masandawana in the same month in 2011, after a transfer from the Soweto giants.
Zwane, beginning to learn his trade, was alongside Modise at Chlooorkop for six-and-half years, before 'The Navigator' left the club to join Cape Town City in 2017 and retired two years later.
"I learned a lot from Teko, he's the most relaxed player. The other thing I learned from him is his awareness, he always knows what to do with the ball, before it reaches him, he always knows what's happening around him, top player," Zwane enthused about Modise.
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There has been comparisons made on who is the best between Modise and Zwane, with some suggesting that 'Mshishi' could be having the edge.
However, the Sundowns jersey number 18 says he is humbled by the comparisons but he can't be better than Modise because he has learned a lot from him and considers him as "his master".
"It makes me happy (to be compared to Teko) but I'll still say that I'm not better than him because I was learning from him. He's like my master," Zwane said.
"So I was busy learning from him, he was always pushing me, so what I say is, I can't be better than him you know," he added.
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