Divine Lunga's journey at Mamelodi Sundowns has not been the smoothest, but the Zimbabwean international has shown how strong he is mentally to keep pushing for a place in the team.
His journey at Sundowns has not been an easy one. After one season at the club, he was sent out on loan to Golden Arrows and then returned in 2023/24 and did not play the first half of the campaign while Sundowns were securing his local residency papers. He finally got his chance to play under former Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena in February 2024, as he finished the campaign with 13 appearances in all competitions.
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This season, Lunga has 12 appearances in all competitions and is hoping to get more opportunities in what's going to be a busy last few months of the campaign for the Tshwane giants, with domestic and continental football on the schedule.
"I am happy to be at Sundowns. It's a good thing, (but) it's just that you have to understand that every player has a great talent. If you get a chance, you have to grab it and try to put your A-game in every match because it's not an easy journey but you have to fight for it," Lunga told media after the Nedbank Cup draw on Monday.
"You have to be strong and you must have patience. Like they say, being patient pays. Sometimes you can rush something and they give it to you and you spoil it yourself. The truth, you have to wait and when you get that chance, you must grab it and push yourself. You have to make it count because every player who is there is the best. There's no time to relax. Listening to the coach helps a lot and that's what I do, so that I can become a better player."
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Sundowns are in Bloemfontein to take on Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership tonight, knowing that they cannot afford to slip up. They have a nine point lead, but second-placed Orlando Pirates have two matches in hand.
"It's not going to be an easy game. Marumo Gallants are a good team, so it's going to be a tricky one. But we are going to do our best to come back with maximum points. We have a strong team."
