Dribbling wizard Surprise Ralani has opened up for the first time on the circumstances leading to his exit from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Ralani, currently on the books of Hungry Lions in the Motsepe Championship, was a surprise signing by Sundowns, joining from Cape Town City in January 2022 at the age of 35.
After a good start to his career at Chloorkop, his fortunes took a turn as he experienced a lack of game-time.
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He expressed that he was somewhat taken aback by suddenly finding himself in the stands, having been signed to the club by head coach Rulani Mokwena - who had directly called him, asking him to come to The Brazilians.
The Kimberley-born star had joined on a one-and-a-half year contract and was released at the end of his deal - despite some verbal assurances that it would be renewed.
"I had very good moments at Sundowns and very bad moments, and very sad moments at Sundowns," Ralani recalled on Metro FM Sports.
"At the beginning, my stint there, it was smooth sailing, like from the first day, first week, then first game.
"So, I'm actually also going home for the short break that we had in December after the Carling Cup.
"I do my rehab and I come back around January and I'm still injured. They 'reworking with me on the side and everything.
"Coach is still in my corner, 'Hey, don't worry, we're keeping you, don't worry, we're keeping you'.
"Out of the blue, I'm not playing anymore. Even when I return from the injury, nothing is being said to me.
"And players are coming to me and saying, 'Hey'. Even 'Mshishi' [Themba Zwane] came to me one time and said, 'Surprise, whatever you've done, just go and apologise, we need you'.
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"And I'm like to Mshishi: 'But what did I do? I don't know of anything that I did [wrong]'. What will I say to the coach, I will go there and say I'm apologising for what?
"So, there was a time that the coach [Mokwena] also called me in and said he's not happy with my body language and stuff like that but never a thing of my performance in training how I train, if I'm lazy, anything like that. Nothing like that. Just body language," said the former Helsingborgs man.