Lesedi Kapinga, who recently became a free agent, has taken time to reflect on his challenging stint at Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 28-year-old midfielder signed a three-year contract with the chloorkop-based club, with an option to extend for another two seasons.
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However, the Limpopo-born footballer did not enjoy the best of times at the Brazilians and found himself frequently restricted to the sidelines, rarely getting an opportunity to showcase his skills on the pitch.
Following the conclusion of his three-year contract, the club chose not to extend his stay, making him available for transfer without any transfer fees.
Speaking to the media during his time with Bafana Bafana recently, Kapinga candidly shared his feelings about his three-year stay at Sundowns and emphasized the valuable lessons he had learned from the experience.
“Mentally, I think it got me in a good space because I have learnt a lot. So I wouldn’t say that it’s a bad thing because maybe I had to go through such a thing for me to become a stronger player and grow as a person. So I’ll just take it as a lesson,” he expressed.
During his time with Sundowns, Kapinga made just 39 appearances under the coaching trio of Manqoba Mnqgithi, Steve Kompela, and Rhulani Mokwena.
The former Black Leopards man revealed that not much communication came his way regarding his exclusion from the squad.
However, he also expressed that it did not bother him much because he understood that Sundowns might not be the environment where he would shine the brightest.
“I just feel like sometimes it’s good not to know everything about it because what worked for other players at Sundowns doesn’t necessarily mean it would work for me. So I just have to focus on my career,” he said.
Kapinga featured in four of the five matches Bafana played at the recently concluded Cosafa Cup and displayed flashes of his brilliance, despite visibly lacking in match fitness.
He expressed his gratitude at being part of a team that believes in his abilities and values him as a player. He also revealed his preferred next destination in terms of environment.
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“It gave me the belief that I could still do more as a player, so I needed to be here in camp with the guys,” he said.
He then added: “For me, I just want to be part of a team that believes in me and provides me with more playing opportunities.”
