22 February 2010Ramatsiyi Moholoa
INFLUENTIAL Orlando Pirates linkman Teko “General” Modise might have landed himself in hot water after going AWOL for three days.
That resulted in the occasional Bafana Bafana captain missing Saturday’s Soweto derby at Orlando Stadium that ended in a goalless draw.
Modise featured for Pirates in the 2-1 Absa Premiership defeat to Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg last Wednesday night.
He limped off the pitch in that game and was subsequently replaced by Bennet Chenene, but the Pirates medical team stated that Modise was in good health as far as they were concerned.
“We don’t know where Teko is right now. We last saw him on Thursday morning when the team returned to Johannesburg from Pietermaritzburg,” Pirates coach Rudi Krol said.
“It’s really frustrating and disappointing because he has not spoken to me about his failure to turn up for training after the game against Maritzburg United.”
Krol and his technical team are expected to submit a report to Pirates’ management today , when the postmortem of the derby will also be done.
It is the first time Modise has gone AWOL in his professional career, but the PSL is awash with players with a reputation for disappearing from their clubs.
They include Jabu Mahlangu, Mbulelo Mabizela, Mabhuti Khenyeza, Emmanuel Ngobese, Lerato Chabangu and Tebogo Mashaba.
Sowetan has learnt that Pirates’ medical team did not have any record of Modise being injured . If he was, he did not bring it to their attention.
“Tsholofelo (Modise) is fine as far as we are concerned. We were all taken aback that he has failed to attend training and the derby without a reason,” said a source at Pirates.
Modise was offered a new two- season contract by Pirates last August after failing to secure an overseas move.
His cause was not helped by a lukewarm display in the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup.
Modise refused to answer his cellphone yesterday.
The midfield star’s business manager, Jazzman Mahlakgane, said: “I’m sorry, I can’t blame you guys for chasing the story about Teko based on the information from the coach.
“I can’t say anything more because I’m in a family meeting right now.”
source: http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1116700
