In today's edition of Supporters Club Did You Know, we bring you the story of a remarkable South African not many people know about: the first ever black African to play in a European league.
Born in Doornfontein on 23 March 1932, Steve Mokone would go on to be one of the most recognised South Africans in the world, outside of our borders. Due to the era in which he found himself, his only option was to escape South Africa to pursue football overseas. In so doing, he became the first black African to play in a European league. "Kalamazoo", as he was affectionately known, played for Coventry City before being signed to Barcelona. From there he was loaned out to Marseille. He also played for Torino in Italy, Valencia in Spain, and Heracles Almelo in Holland, where a street would eventually be named after him. Mokone spent the rest of his life in America, where he was convicted and spent 12 years in prison for assaulting his wife and her lawyer. He allegedly organised someone to throw acid on his wife's lawyer, blinding her in one eye. He also held a PHD in Psychology and Political Science. Besides the street named after him, there is also a book written about him, called The Black Meteor.
What an interesting character from the shores of Mzansi…
What do you think of this story from our past?
