Mamelodi Sundowns exit a blessing in disguise for Thabo Moloisane

Now a regular for the high-flying Stellenbosch FC outfit in the DStv Premiership, the 25-year-old first went down to the lower division to join Cape Town All Stars and then returned to topflight football at Maritzburg United last season.

Moloisane says he has no regrets about abandoning the glamour of playing for the reigning champions.

"I went to Cape Town All Stars first actually and I think the NFD helped me a lot, the two seasons that I spent at Cape Town All Stars were very helpful for me. To go to Cape Town All Stars I left there on loan essentially and the two seasons I spent there I was given an option to renew and I told myself, you know what I think I've done enough in the NFD to see if I can take a chance and go to Maritzburg. So, I think it's paying off now, it's really showing, it's just unfortunate that Maritzburg had to be relegated last season," Moloisane said.

In a season where Stellenbosch have won the club’s first ever trophy in the Carling Black Label Cup, are through to the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup and occupy fourth place on the log table with 11 games to go, Moloisane has been one of the key pillars.

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He adds that Downs also deserve credit for his development.

"I was, I think probably playing my best football at Maritzburg hence I got seen by Stellenbosch, so to answer your question I think it's paying off very well for me because also Sundowns played a huge role. I spent seven years at Sundowns, I was a well-developed player I'd like to believe and it is paying off today," he added.

Moloisane believes the camaraderie in the Stellies dressing room, along with the principles instilled by coach Steve Barker, is one of the reasons why they are so strong this season.

"We always stress the importance of being there for one another, like never before because our age group allows us to be able to relate to one another, it makes it easy for us. For me personally, it's not something that I'm not used to because at All Stars we were doing quite well.

“I think the one thing that has helped me this season also is the consistency to play well as many games as I can and mentally it's just showing me that there's actually a bigger avenue to my talent, a bigger avenue to the team that I'm playing for with the environment that we have, we have a lot of youngsters that just want to do well.

“I think it's showing now with the trophies, with the wins that we're getting and I'm definitely sure and I did say at the start of the season with my first interview that people are going to be surprised that we're going to make a lot of special moments this season."