Lucas Radebe had a warm greeting for former Moroka Swallows and fellow South African football legend Joel ‘Ace’ Mnini in Soweto on Wednesday‚ and afterwards paid tribute to winger’s great generation of the 1970s and 1980s.

Mnini‚ the great Swallows winger‚ was attending a Betway handover of goods‚ food parcels and hampers at Soweto Home of the Aged as coach of the Soweto All Stars amateur football team.

Former Bafana Bafana and Leeds United captain Radebe – a 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) winner – was the guest of honour.

Radebe gave Mnini a warm embrace and shared warms words with a player reputed to have been one of South African football’s greatest wingers.

Asked how he feels when he meets up with Mnini‚ and others of his generation‚ Radebe said: “It’s unbelievable‚ because I was young when I watched them play.

“And the skill and the talent that they had‚ and the passion. We wish they could be in the structures still or be in the picture‚ where kids today can take a leaf from what they’ve done.

“But obviously we did. And for me seeing Ace live at his age‚ it means a lot.

“I know that they should be looked after much better. These are our legends. These are people who got football where it is at this point.

“If then they had an opportunity to participate in the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations‚ I think we would have ruled the Afcon and the continent. We could have won a World Cup.”

Mnini’s Dobsonville-based Soweto All Stars compete in the Roodepoort local football association. Betway are a sports betting company.