DURBAN – Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns left-back, Mosa Lebusa, has learnt to see beyond life’s challenges to get to where he is in his football career.
His journey has been nothing short of inspirational. After the team he captained was docked points and, as a result, were dumped into the National First Division for fielding an eligible player two seasons ago, the diminutive left-footer has bounced back to play for a club that is among the best in Africa.
Lebusa had resigned himself to First Division football as captain of Ajax Cape Town when the club was fined points for a transgression. But he was then plucked from that pending misery by Mamelodi Sundowns and now even gets called up for Bafana Bafana.
He describes that experience as the most painful in his career so far.
“Everyone has their ups and downs in life or in their careers; it’s the way life is. I got relegated with the team that I captained and it was traumatic. The next moment, I won the league (with Sundowns) and here I am today representing my country,” Lebusa said of his journey.
From relegation, Lebusa finished with the winner’s league medal at the end of last season. Now he is plying his trade in the CAF Champions League.
“I’m very proud and I’ve been working very hard.
Here I am and I can’t ask for more. It is all about staying positive in difficult situations. It is about weathering the storm at that particular moment. Difficult times don’t stay forever but they are there to make you stronger,” he added.
Lebusa is a national asset now. He came on as a substitute last week as Bafana swept past Mali in the Nelson Mandela Challenge in Port Elizabeth. He has vowed to revive his career following a shaky debut where he was sacrificed in the first half against Costa Rica.
“It is never a nice thing to be substituted in the first half but it is part of football. For me, that is history now. I have to grab every opportunity that comes my way with both hands,” Lebusa says.
Today he is expected to play a pivotal role when Sundowns take on AmaZulu in the last 16 of the Telkom Knockout at Lucas Moripe Stadium at 3pm.
“I want to continue working hard and win more trophies. Helping my country to qualify for the Afcon and the World Cup will make me happy.”
Bafana will begin their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month with back-to- back matches against Ghana and Sudan and Lebusa stands a good chance of being a regular feature in their set-up if he continues to accumulate experience with Sundowns still in the Champions League.