Lesotho's Vodacom Premier League Player of the Season Jerry Kamela has thanked Orlando Pirates legend Teboho Moloi for picking him up when he was down.
Kamela used to play for Linare FC under the guidance of Moloi, but when the former Buccaneers star left the Lesotho club, the midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements.
Kamela moved to another big club, Lioli FC, where he won the league's Midfielder of the Season, and the very same night he was voted Player of the Season.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm running out of words," he said during his speech on Saturday.
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"About 90% [of the people] had given up on me that I'd bounce back, but I came back, not to prove a point to anyone, but to do what I do best.
"I thank the whole football fraternity for their support, after a long injury spell I had six months at Malonyane FC. That's where everyone assumed I was a goner, but I came back stronger.
"But ladies and gentlemen, there's one special guy who is not here today, an Orlando Pirates legend, Teboho Moloi.
"He arrived at Linare and when he got there, I was the last player to sign with Linare on that day.
"I had given up, telling myself I didn't want to play anymore because of the criticism I was getting from people.
"After playing in the African Youth Championship and for Likoena, I thought I had done my part in football, but he sat me down, he told me what I had done was not enough, 'you can still do more, you can still offer more'.
"He believed in me when most people didn't."
Speaking to KickOff on the weekend, Moloi couldn't hold his excitement.
"I'm listening to [the] Lesotho Footballer of the Season for the second time and what he says about me. It feels good being appreciated outside South Africa."
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"I'm happy [for] being appreciated and [having] contributed positively to an African boy wanting to do what he does best and that's to play football, and will forever be grateful to Lesotho for the opportunity afforded."