5 forgotten African heroes

#3 Lucas Radebe

Lucas Radebe became a legend at Leeds United

Hailing from South Africa, where he started his football career with Kaiser Chiefs – the team that the band named themselves after – Lucas Radebe wasn’t expected to make much of an impact at Leeds United when he signed for the Premier League side in 1994 – in fact, he was only bought to help his fellow South African signing Phil Masinga to settle in. 11 seasons and 201 games later, he’d become a Leeds legend.

One of the Premier League’s most consistent defenders at his peak, Radebe was Leeds’ captain during their most successful period under David O’Leary in the late 90s and early 00s. He was the lynchpin of the famous Leeds side that made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2000/01, and when Leeds were surprisingly relegated just three seasons later, he stuck around and ended up retiring at Elland Road. His loyalty to Leeds was such that he supposedly turned down a move to Manchester United in 2000.

Radebe also saw success at the international level with South Africa, albeit not at the World Cup. He did score at the 2002 edition but Bafana Bafana were knocked out during the group stage, as they had been in France four years prior. He did help the side to victory in the 1996 African Cup of Nations, though, prompting the legendary Nelson Mandela to label him a “hero”. Few Leeds fans would disagree, even if most fans have long since forgotten him.