Lucas Radebe portrait — Wikimedia Commons (see CREDITS)
The Chief. Leeds United Captain. Mandela's Hero. location_on Retired (Leeds United era — 1994–2005 peak)

LUCAS
RADEBE

Centre-back #4 South African flag South Africa (Bafana Bafana) — retired 2003
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Age

56 yrs

Height

1.82m

Caps / Goals

70 / 2

Profile

Who is Lucas

Lucas Valeri 'The Chief' Radebe captained Leeds United and South Africa's Bafana Bafana at their respective peaks. He won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations as an AFCON hosts player, won back-to-back Leeds United Player of the Year awards (1996–97, 1997–98), and led Leeds to the 2001 UEFA Champions League semi-final, a stage reached by only a handful of African captains in the competition's history. Nelson Mandela publicly called him 'my hero' during a 1996 meeting at Mandela's Johannesburg home. He survived an on-pitch gun wound in Soweto in 1991 and retired at Leeds United in 2005 after 11 years at Elland Road.

Tactical DNA

Radebe was a 1.82m right-footed centre-back with the positional reading of a deep-lying libero. He was most effective at absorbing long balls, stepping out of the back line to break play, and organising a defensive line in English. Manager George Graham (Leeds, 1996–98) called him 'the best central defender I ever managed, in a contest that included Tony Adams and Martin Keown'. David O'Leary (Leeds, 1998–2002) built the 2001 Champions League semi-final defence around Radebe as captain.

For South Africa he was the defensive leader of the 1996 AFCON-winning side, played every minute of Bafana Bafana's 1998 World Cup debut in France, and captained the side at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan. Knee injuries from 2001 onwards cost him 80+ competitive matches between 2001 and 2005, but he played on through two further Leeds campaigns after the 2004 relegation to the Championship.

Career Journey

history
ICL Birds / Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)
98 apps 7 goals

Started at the ICL Birds amateur academy before joining Kaizer Chiefs in 1990. PSL Footballer of the Year 1992. Captained Chiefs to the 1992–93 PSL title. Shot in the back in 1991 in a Soweto incident — recovered within 6 months.

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Leeds United (England)
250 apps 3 goals 6 assists £250k

11-season Leeds United career. Captain 1998–2005. Two Leeds Player of the Year awards (1996–97, 1997–98). UEFA Champions League semi-finalist 2000–01. Played centre-back and emergency goalkeeper during the 1996 Manchester United match (keeper Mark Beeney red-carded).

Current Season Stats

Live Data
Status
Retired
Since 2005
Career caps
70
Int'l goals
2
AFCON titles
1
South Africa 1996 (hosts)
Leeds Player of the Year
2
1996–97, 1997–98
World Cups
2
1998, 2002 (captain)

military_techHonours

emoji_events

AFCON Winner

South Africa 1996 (hosts)

star

AFCON Runner-up

South Africa 1998 (Burkina Faso)

star

Leeds United Player of the Year

1996–97, 1997–98

star

PSL Footballer of the Year

Kaizer Chiefs 1992

star

FIFA Fair Play Award

2000 — for humanitarian work

star

BBC African Sports Personality of the Year

2000

star

Leeds United Hall of Fame

Inducted 2015

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South African Football Hall of Fame

Inducted 2008

flagWith South Africa (Bafana Bafana) — retired 2003

70
Caps
2
Goals
1992
Debut
AFCON 1996 (winner, hosts) AFCON 1998 (runner-up, Burkina Faso) World Cup 1998 AFCON 2000 (third) AFCON 2002 World Cup 2002 (captain)
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Beyond the Pitch

Born 12 April 1969 in Diepkloof, Soweto, south of Johannesburg. Given name Lucas Valeri Radebe. Raised in Diepkloof's Zone 4 during the late apartheid era; attended Bona Comprehensive secondary school. One of 11 children. Joined Kaizer Chiefs' youth setup via ICL Birds in 1989. Survived a 1991 Soweto shooting: a bullet grazed his back while he was walking home from Kaizer Chiefs training.

Married Feziwe Faith Radebe in 1994; the couple had three children. Feziwe passed away in 2008 after a long illness — Radebe spoke publicly about her death at the funeral in Soweto. He married his second wife Thobela Masindi in 2014; the couple live in Johannesburg. His eldest son Lucas Jr. Radebe is a professional footballer in the PSL.

Since retirement in 2005 Radebe has been a SuperSport pundit, a SAFA brand ambassador, a Leeds United club ambassador, and a FIFA humanitarian delegate. He was awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award in 2000 for his anti-racism campaigning in the Premier League. A 2023 bronze statue of Radebe stands outside the Elland Road East Stand. He remains one of the most publicly recognisable South African footballers of all time.

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Expert Analysis

Thabo Nkosi

Thabo Nkosi

Senior Writer

12 posts on Lucas.

Lucas Q&A

How old is Lucas Radebe? expand_more
Lucas Radebe was born on 12 April 1969 in Diepkloof, Soweto. He is 56 years old as of April 2026 and has been retired from professional football since 2005.
Why was Lucas Radebe called 'The Chief'? expand_more
The nickname came from his Kaizer Chiefs playing days in Soweto (1990–1994) — teammates and supporters would call him 'The Chief' as a play on the club name and on his captaincy. The nickname stuck at Leeds United after his 1994 transfer. He is still referred to as 'Chief' in South African football media.
Did Nelson Mandela call Lucas Radebe his hero? expand_more
Yes. At a 1996 meeting between the South Africa AFCON-winning squad and President Nelson Mandela at Mandela's Johannesburg home, Mandela singled Radebe out with the widely reported quote 'This is my hero'. Radebe has retold the story in his 2005 autobiography The Chief and at multiple Leeds United ambassador events.
How long did Lucas Radebe play for Leeds United? expand_more
Lucas Radebe played for Leeds United for 11 seasons between August 1994 and August 2005, making 250 competitive appearances. He captained the club from 1998 to 2005 and won Leeds United Player of the Year twice (1996–97, 1997–98). A 2023 bronze statue of Radebe stands outside Elland Road.
What is Lucas Radebe's net worth? expand_more
Public estimates of Lucas Radebe's net worth in 2026 sit around US $5–8 million (around R100 million in rand), reflecting 11 Leeds United seasons on Premier League wages, his SuperSport and SAFA ambassadorial income, and book royalties. These are outside estimates rather than disclosed figures.
Was Lucas Radebe shot in Soweto? expand_more
Yes. In 1991, shortly after joining Kaizer Chiefs, Radebe was shot in the back in a Soweto incident while walking home from training. The bullet missed his spine and he recovered within six months. The story is widely retold in South African football media and is the subject of a chapter in Radebe's 2005 autobiography.
How many wives has Lucas Radebe had? expand_more
Lucas Radebe has been married twice. He married his first wife Feziwe Faith Radebe in 1994; Feziwe passed away in 2008 after a long illness and Radebe spoke publicly at her Soweto funeral. He later married his second wife Thobela Masindi in 2014. The couple lives in Johannesburg.
Does Lucas Radebe have a statue at Leeds? expand_more
Yes. A bronze statue of Lucas Radebe, commissioned by Leeds United and sculpted by South African artist Angus Taylor, was unveiled outside the East Stand at Elland Road on 15 October 2023. Radebe attended the unveiling with his family and former Leeds teammates including Gary Kelly and Harry Kewell.

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Last updated 2026-04-22 · written by Thabo Nkosi.