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By Mihlali Baleka 
14h ago
JOHANNESBURG – “A lot of people dismissed me.”
Swallows FC captain Lebohang Mokoena admitted it sober after the resurgence he has had with the Soweto-based team this season.
On Sunday, the Dube Birds returned to the Absa Premiership after gaining promotion by finishing atop the GladAfrica Championship.
The Dube Birds finished tied with Ajax Cape Town with 57 points, but their superior goal difference was enough to drag them towards the finish line.
Swallows’ resurgence was inspired by players like Captain Mokoena, who has done it and seen it all in world-class football following successful seasons with the Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, with whom he won the league title.
But he probably doesn’t consider the silverware to be a hit with the club, although he was delighted to have donned the yellow Pretoria Giants jersey considering that Sundowns was the last club his late friend Gift Leremi played for.
Leremi passed away in 2007 and Mokoena was clearly devastated as she struggled for years to come to terms with the loss.
“Cheeseboy” joined Ajax in 2016 but did not prosper as he was left without clubs during the 2017/18 campaign.
But he got a second chance from Maccabi FC last season at the GladAfrica Championship. And such was his growth that after Swallows acquired Maccabi status, Mokoena wore the bracelet with distinction as he led the Dube Birds back to the Premiership.
“For me it is just a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. And I will continue to be grateful that God has given me this opportunity because a lot of people dismissed me and said, ‘Cheeseboy will never play football again,’ ”Mokoena said.
“But I told myself that I am not here for the love of money but for the passion that God has given me. Therefore, praise Him. I would also like to be grateful for the support I have received from my family, wife and children. “
Mokoena and company did all the hard work on the field, but their success would not be possible without the astute guidance of coach Brandon Truter, who joined the club mid-season following the firing of Zeca Marques.
Truter not only settled for keeping the team in the second division, he delivered them to the promised land on the first try.
“It was a difficult journey,” Truter admitted. “If you look at the record for the first few months, Ajax, JDR Stars and Uthongathi FC held the top spot for at least eight weeks. We were at the top for only three days.
“But it shows that it’s not about how you start but how you end. It was a difficult road. Before the BSE, the technical team was excellent and they made sure the team was prepared for this mini-tournament. “
Both Mokoena and Truter are almost guaranteed their spots in the elite division, following a tweet from President David Mogashoa, who said: “This money (R3 million in prizes) belongs to the @Moroka_Swallows Team. Every penny. And for the record, Coach Truter is our PSL Coach. They won it on the pitch under very difficult circumstances ”.
@Mihlalibaleka
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