COMMENT by Mcelwa Nchabeleng

COMMENT by Mcelwa Nchabeleng

So Sowetan lied to the nation when it said Orlando Pirates star midfielder Teko Modise is looking for his long-lost father.

That is if what the player told Radio 702 listeners on Friday is anything to go by.

For the record, we did not fabricate the story.

Modise pleaded with me personally during an interview last week to stress that he is searching for his father, whom he said he'd last seen when he was 10.

He identified his father as Steve Sekgaila and emphasised he would like him to be present on Christmas day for his belated 25th birthday party.

I applauded him for that. I even told him that some of his peers disowned their parents because of fame.

I was impressed that he wanted to find his father.

But I was baffled to hear that Modise had been on the John Robbie show, denying our story.

I must admit, though, that Modise was put under pressure to deny our story, claiming that he regularly spoke to his father on the phone.

Robbie, without doublechecking, latched on to this, saying it made a mockery of Sowetan.

When I contacted Modise yesterday he said he'd been put under pressure to deny our story.

I pressed him to tell me who was putting him under pressure but he wouldn't say.

"I don't dispute what you wrote but I had to dispute it on air because I was under pressure."

I have known Modise since the days he was playing for City Pillars in the National First Division and I was really taken aback by his denials on air.