Katlego Sekhu
In an interview with iDiski Times, South African football legend Teko Modise opened up about making bad financial decisions as a player and learning from his mistakes.
Modise downgraded his lifestyle, got a smaller apartment, sold three of his cars, and instead of blowing R30k on sneakers, he bought one or two pairs.
He says after moving to Cape Town City from Sundowns, he could survive because he “learned the hard way.”
Modise cited his flashy lifestyle as a coping mechanism for his depression.
“I went and bought a car because I was depressed. I felt the need to be loved and accepted. A wiser me wouldn’t go and buy material things to make myself feel good. That was a bad decision,’ admitted the player.
‘I thought the financial flexibility I had would fill the void; it was about trying to belong. I had no business buying a car that cost me R22,000 a month. But the best education is experience. What I had done taught me a lot about finances in general.’
Now that he is older and wiser, Modise realizes that he “didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, and that’s when I began to make smarter choices. Of course, the temptation is there, but I am comfortable with myself now,” he said.
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