Now Teko eyes a break in Europe

By Ed Aarons

Orlando Pirates star Teko Modise has revealed his desire to play in Europe following a month of stunning performances for club and country.

The 25-year-old Sowetan has been the subject of widespread interest from abroad after his two goals against Cameroon inspired Bafana to victory in the Nelson Mandela Challenge.

Modise followed that up with another man-of-the-match display for Pirates as they demolished Thanda Royal Zulu 4-2, leading former national boss Clive Barker to describe him as one of the potential stars of the 2010 World Cup.

Now, with just 18 months remaining until the tournament begins, Modise is targeting a move to Europe in order to test himself against some of the world's best players.

"For a year now there's been a whole lot of talk and a couple of teams are interested," he revealed.

"It's really up to the chairman whether he wants to let me go but I strongly believe that he is the type of person who really cares about players developing their careers so it's just a matter of waiting for the right offer.

"I don't have any particular preference where I go but I will say that a couple of my teammates for South Africa are playing in England and that is somewhere where I would love to test myself."

He added: "Only God knows where I am going to go but if I good opportunity comes along then I am going to take it."

At present, Everton's Stephen Pienaar and Blackburn duo Benny McCarthy and Aaron Mokoena are the only South Africans plying their trade in the Premier League, with a scattering of players across the rest of Europe. As the reigning PSL Player of the Year, Modise is adamant that is a situation that has to change if the Bafana are going to mount a serious challenge at the World Cup.

"Everyone needs to step up their game and look to the future," he said.

"The best way of doing that has to be going to Europe and playing against the best players in the world to test ourselves - if you take the example of Nigeria then 95 percent of their national side play in Europe and it has only benefited them.

"When it comes to playing international football, moving abroad to experience a different way of life and playing at the highest level is vital for our players to develop."

Modise added: "I've always wanted to go and play in Europe but I wanted to make a name for myself in South Africa first and then see what happened. It's important to get used to playing in front of thousands of people and now I'm really looking forward to the new challenge."

Having only made his debut for Bafana last May, Modise has now become the first name on manager Joel Santana's teamsheet.

He featured heavily towards the end of the African Nations qualifying campaign but could not prevent the embarrassing run of results that culminated in South Africa's elimination.

Four successive victories have since transformed the mood in the camp, however, with fans now hoping recent results are a sign of good things to come.

"Cameroon are the number one team in the rankings in Africa so it was an amazing result to beat them," commented Modise.

"We played with a lot of confidence and showed that we are capable of competing with the best teams.

"The mindset of the players has changed so much in the last few weeks - I think most of the team realise the pressure we are under being hosts of the World Cup. The whole world is watching to see how we get on and there is a determination to prove to everyone that we are a good team."

Next year's Confederations Cup should give an indication of just how far the team have come in that short time. Being drawn against Spain, Iraq and New Zealand should ensure Bafana's progression to the semi-final, where they are likely to face either World Cup holders Italy or Copa America champions Brazil.

Despite that mouth-watering prospect, however, Modise was quick to stress that even victory was no guarantee of success in 2010.

"Playing in friendlies is important but it cannot prepare you for the big stage," he said.

"I want to be realistic about things - we have the talent in our squad to do very well but we have to realise that the World Cup is different to anything we have seen before. I'm praying for a miracle but we need four or five players who are the core of our national team to go overseas and play club football.

If we can do that then our experience should be enough to get us through to the second round at the least."

One factor that could prove vital to their chances is home support, with fans now starting to back the team following the frustrating period of results. And Modise is all too aware of the importance influence they could have when it comes to crunch time.

"I've been really impressed with the support we've received from the fans so far - it means a lot to see the whole nation behind us," he concluded.

"The World Cup will change the attitude towards football in this country. A lot of people have lost interest in the game over the last few years because Bafana have not been faring so well but that will be forgotten as we build to 2010. For our people to see the tournament hosted on home soil will be the most amazing experience of their lives."

• This article was originally published on page 25 of The Star on December 04, 2008