Former Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back, Thabo Nthethe admitted that at one point, there was a shift in his relationship with Pitso Mosimane.
Nthethe spent just over four years on the books of Sundowns after joining the club from Bloemfontein Celtic, where he went on to win several honours, including three league titles and the CAF Champions League trophy.
However, Nthethe eventually fell out of favour at the Chloorkop-based club and left the Brazilians in July 2018.
In an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma this week, Nthethe was asked about his relationship with Head Coach Mosimane, where he explained that it was a good until he fell down the pecking order.
"The relationship with the coach was a good one, until we got to where I did not play a part. But somewhere, somehow, I understand that we don't always see things the same way," Nthethe said.
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"The coach can see that this person can do well in this game, so at some point, I was not okay with not playing, but I was supporting the team. I could feel how someone who could sit outside and not play would feel.
"So, when it's me, why don't I understand? I was supporting the team and the technical team was also supporting me because they knew that know how difficult it was as an experienced player to play and then end up not playing.
"It was giving me strength and more focus on helping the team, whether I was there or not. I played my part. Our relationship was good and he was even calling when I was home, just to check how I saw the team going forward and stuff. So, I was feeling part of the team at the time," Nthethe added.
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To read the full exclusive interview with the centre-back, check out issue number 1177 of Soccer Laduma, where he also discussed:
- His thoughts on retirement
- Why he chose to join TS Galaxy
- His career in the Premier Soccer League.
Click through the gallery to view some of Thabo Nthethe's greatest moments for Mamelodi Sundowns.