Lucas Radebe says induction into the Hall of Fame summarizes his career

The ex- Kaizer Chiefs defender was among seven legends honoured with an induction into the Hall of Fame.

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He was joined by Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, former Bafana Bafana coaches Shakes Mashaba and Jomo Sono, 1996 AFCON winning captain Neil Tovey as well as former Kaizer Chiefs greats Teenage Dladla and the late Ace Ntsoelengoe.

The event was held in Johannesburg last night.

''You know, it has summarized the career that I have had, my contribution throughout in football and out of football.  I know that there's been a lot of cries regarding the greats, that we don't celebrate them enough, but I think this induction is more than that - it says a lot about the people that we're honouring today. If you look at the likes of Teenage Dladla, the late Ace Ntsoelenge - I think football is where it is today because of their contribution,'' said Radebe.

Radebe sang the praises of Ellis, who was the only woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame last night. The former Leeds captain says Ellis serves as an inspiration.

''As a woman and ex footballer, she has done well and she is an inspiration for the next generation. There's a lot to learn from her, especially for young women who want to take football as a career,'' added Radebe.

The former Leeds United captain and defender in England also weighed in on the resurgence of Bafana Bafana, calling it a positive revolution. Hugo Broos’ men qualified for AFCON 2025 with two games to spare, ending the campaign unbeaten and top of the group.

It’s been 24 years since Bafana Bafana won the AFCON, and Radebe says it would be great to see the current generation carve out their own path, adding that consistency will be crucial.

''I don't want to be comparing the two generations, but these guys are writing their own history and we see the consistency and hopefully they will continue with that progress,'' he expressed.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers set to continue early next year, Radebe believes Bafana Bafana can still do better. The South Africans share the top spot with Rwanda and Benin, all tied on seven points each.