Mosa Lebusa opens up on ignoring Mamelodi Sundowns exit talks

Sundowns played a total of 48 matches last season, but Lebusa featured in only 17, which sparked suggestions he could be on his way out of Chloorkop. 

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But, after being named in the starting line-up and helping Downs clinch the inaugural elite continental tournament over Wydad Casablanca on Sunday, the experienced centre-back says coach Rulani Mokwena has always backed him. 

"There was talks of me leaving Sundowns, but it was just in the media. I had a one-on-one talk with the coach [Mokwena], and he told me that he needs me in the team and I had to make sure I work hard at every given chance I get," said Lebusa.

"It was a but emotional [winning the AFL] because we've worked so hard to get where we are. I mean, if you check last season's Champions League, the same team knocked us out at the very same stadium in front of our supporters.

"We knew that today it was in our hands, and we had to work extremely hard to make sure we make our supporters happy."

The former Ajax Cape Town skipper is also learning to share the load with a plethora of Sundowns centre-backs, although he now knows he is in Mokwena’s plans.

"We know each other very well. Throughout the [AFL] tournament, there's been different pairings of centre-backs, and today the coach came and called a different pairing," he noted.

"We know that, even though we hadn't played together in a while, we have to do the job. The guys up front were depending on us to keep a clean sheet."

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