Comeback kid: Mokoena almost retired before Swallows opportunity
- Lebohang 'Cheeseboy' Mokoena nearly hung up his football boots before he got a second chance at Swallows FC
- Mokoena revealed he begged on his knees for another shot to prove his worth
- He said people underestimated him but now he has the chance to showcase his talent on the biggest stage in domestic football
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On Sunday, the Moroka Swallows FC won the promotion to the premiership and it means Lebohang 'Cheeseboy' Mokoena will have another shot at proving how good he is in the country's biggest football tournament.
However, Mokoena, who captained the Swallows to victory, revealed he nearly retired from the sport before getting another chance at the Johannesburg-based club.
He said:
"I remember when I left the same team [Ajax Cape Town] that we [Swallows] were challenging for [promotion] with [this season]‚ I was already thinking about retiring."
Source: Twitter
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Mokoena told Soccer Zone that he felt people already ruled him out:
"Whenever I knocked no one opened the door for me and it felt like everybody was saying 'this guy does not have it anymore'."
The 33-year-old then decided to ask Swallows FC for a chance, the Sowetan reported. He claimed he 'went down on his knees' and pleaded with coach Brandon Truter, president Panyaza Lesufi and chairman David Mogashoa for a chance to prove what he is capable of.
Mokoena previously played for the Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates - where he was part of the PSL winning team in the 2002-2003 season.
"And even to go back [to PSL] even when I was written off it makes it really more special and makes me wanna work more harder‚" he said.
And it appears the Swallows do not regret giving Mokoena the opportunity to prove his worth. In a social media post, the club hailed his leadership skills:
"Through pain and happiness, your leadership is unmatched."
In other news, Briefly.co.za earlier reported Andile and Nonhle Jali are reportedly separated. Andile and his missus have made headlines before with their turbulent relationship and now it has been revealed they are no longer together.
The duo are reportedly still married they have been separated for a while now. The Mamelodi Sundowns player did not disclose too much about the relationship drama but he did reportedly confirm the news.
Andile was quoted saying:
"My wife and I are still married but we are no longer together."
Meanwhile, the Kaizer Chiefs have hinted at the return of their captain and goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune.
In a post on Twitter, @KaizerChiefs uploaded an image of Khune with the hashtag #Amakhosi4Life. The tweet has since gained over 4 000 likes since its upload this morning.
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Source: Briefly News
