Daine Klate

Klate was raised in Gelvandale, a former coloured township in Port Elizabeth. He started playing football for his primary school in Gelvandale at the age of eight and continued with the sport in high school.

Like fellow South African international Elrio Van Heerden, Klate played for the Port Elizabeth-based amateur football club Glenville Celtic as a kid. At age 15, he moved to Gauteng to play for the Transnet School of Excellence, an institution that has produced a host of Bafana Bafana stars including Steven Pienaar and Dillon Sheppard. In 2002, he joined the Supersport United Feyenoord youth academy.

Since being promoted to the club's first team as a 19-year-old in 2004, Klate has made the left-wing position at Supersport his own and has made over 100 league appearances for the club. He was one of the key players of United's back-to-back Premiership wins in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In 2010, he signed with Orlando Pirates.

2010-11 Season

Since Klate joined Pirates at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, some Pirates supporters believed him to have been the lucky charm that brought trophies aboard. In his first Knockout competition in Orlando Pirates colors, the MTN 8 Cup, Pirates won that trophy via penalty shoot-outs in Durban against the Moroka Swallows. It was the first domestic trophy for Orlando Pirates in years, as the last two trophies were from 2003. Since then, Orlando Pirates went on to win the treble that season, picking up the Nedbank Cup (defeating the Black Leopards 3-1 at the Mbombela Stadium) and the Pirates' third Premier Soccer League title. The previous league title for Orlando Pirates was in 2003. In this season, Orlando Pirates played all available official games in the season, having lost the Telkom Knockout in the final against Kaizer Chiefs. Orlando Pirates also played all the finals that season. This title was the fourth in a row for Daine Klate who had won three consecutively with his former team, Supersport United.

2011-12 Season

Klate and his teammates continued where they left off and successfully defended the MTN 8 Trophy by beating Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 at the FNB Stadium via an Oupa Manyisa long-range effort in extra-time. Orlando Pirates won their first-ever Telkom Knock-Out Trophy against Wits 3-1 and finished off the season by successfully defending the league title. By doing this, Pirates won the second successive treble. This league title was Klate's fifth title in a row. This made Daine Klate the first player ever to win the league title in five consecutive seasons.

Klate joined legends Andre Arendse and the late Ace Ntsoelengoe as the only players to lift the league title five times. The record is held by former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey, who has won it six times.[2]

Loan to SuperSport United F.C.:

In 2015 Daine Klate completed his return to SuperSport United after several meetings between his agent and Dr. Irvin Khoza, ending weeks of speculation over his future. SuperSport United officially announced the signing of Daine Klate from Orlando Pirates. The Tshwane outfit broke the news on their official Twitter account. Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza paid tribute to the left-footed player who won two League titles in his first two seasons with the Buccaneers, adding to the three he won with SuperSport United between 2008 and 2010.

"A winner of five league titles - two while with us; Daine is an icon in his own right,” said Dr. Khoza. "He was a team player, a true ambassador of the game. With us, he also became a double treble winner and a Caf Champions League runner-up," Khoza said.

“He will forever be remembered at Pirates for his contribution. When we induct players in the future, he will be used as a reference point alongside other distinguished gentlemen such as Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono – players who represented this club with discipline and dedication.

“We wish him well as he returns to SuperSport (United), a team where his illustrious career began,” Khoza concluded.

Leaving SuperSport United F.C.:

Daine Klate was on the verge of signing for SuperSport United on a long-term basis; however, it was announced that the talks between the two parties had broken down.

SuperSport United F.C.’s CEO, Stan Matthews, said that Matsatsantsa couldn't justify offering Klate the a wage that he was being offered elsewhere.

“We offered him our best deal but couldn't justify matching the offer he was getting from elsewhere. We wish him the best go forward,” said Stan Matthews

The winger ended off his 2014/15 PSL season at SuperSport United, on a six-month loan deal, while also in the last six months of his Orlando Pirates contract.

Wits Chief Executive Officer Jose Ferreira confirmed the deal.

“We are delighted to have onboard a player of the calibre of Daine. Both Gavin Hunt and I have had the pleasure of working with him and his quality, professionalism, and unwavering commitment on the field of play will undoubtedly be an asset to our club.”

Daine Klate admitted that Bidvest Wits offered him a deal he simply couldn’t refuse.

“I was not happy with SuperSport United’s offer and Wits offered me a much, much better deal,”.

“I enjoyed my stay at SuperSport United, so it was basically about the two offers.”

“I spoke to Coach Gavin Hunt quite often and he checked up on me, so that makes a person feel so wanted. Wits is also pretty similar to SuperSport United; the way the club is run, the structures and everything,” .

“It was difficult to leave SuperSport; coach Gordon Igesund was brilliant so it had nothing to do with playing … it was a decision about my future.”

2016-17 Season MTN 8 Triumph

Daine Klate, already the most successful individual player ever in the PSL, netted two goals and an assist as Wits thumped Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 at the Mbombela Stadium in the MTN8 final on 1 October 2016. Klate’s first goal was a first-time shot with his weaker right foot. He then showed great bravery to go in for a header against Denis Onyango as he won the ball for Eleazer Rodgers to slide in the second. Klate’s second strike was a great finish on the slide to turn home Rodgers’ pass to seal the goal.

Premier Soccer League Triumph

After helping his club secure their maiden league trophy, Bidvest Wits midfielder Daine Klate has made personal history after becoming the first PSL player to claim six league titles. Wits beat Polokwane City 2-0 at the Bidvest Stadium on the 17th of May 2017 to clinch the Absa Premiership title with one game to spare. The former Orlando Pirates midfielder scored the Students second goal with a stunning left-footed strike, putting the icing on the cake of remarkable achievements in his 12-and-a-half-year career. Klate won the league title three times with SuperSport United before bagging two more with the Buccaneers, becoming the first-ever South African to bag five league Crowns in succession.

The Port Elizabeth-born attacker has now beaten the record of most league titles won by an individual player, which was previously held by the retired duo Michael Manzini and Arendre Arendse, each tallying five titles during their playing days.

The 35-year-old also boasts the record for the most domestic winners medals by an individual, including six leagues and eight cups, since the inception of the PSL in 1996.

He made his national team debut in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal against Panama on 16 July 2005 and has so far been capped ten times scoring one goal.

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2008-10-01	Germiston, South Africa	Malawi	3–0	3–0	Friendly match

Carling black label 2011 & 2012 (Pirates)

• Daine Klate at National-Football-Teams.com
• Daine Klate on Twitter