Mamelodi Sundowns defender Divine Lunga has never been afraid of whatever challenge is thrown his way since he was a little kid growing up on Mazibisa Road in the township of Mpopoma back home in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Mazibisa Road carries relevance in that another two players – Bhekithemba Ndlovu and Khumbulani Banda, who have played in the PSL for Moroka Swallows and Maritzburg United also hail from here.
READ | Bvuma sends vow to frustrated Chiefs fans
This is where Lunga had to attend training sessions as early 05h00 to sharpen his game along with Banda after being inspired by Ndlovu.
Banda was some six years older than Lunga while Ndlovu played in another generation providing the encouragement after featuring at two AFCON finals.
Little Lunga sucked in all the inspiration from 'Super' – as Ndlovu is known, making sure that he was sharpened to have tenacity and a spirit that can never be broken.
All this despite having grown up an adventurous kid who was nicknamed MacGyver after the 80s television series.
From starting out on the wing in his younger years playing in the junior ranks, Lunga ultimately made his name as a left-back at Chicken Inn from where Golden Arrows signed him six years ago.
While at Chicken Inn, there was an opportunity to move to Denmark, but it fell through.
He wasn't broken and kept pushing.
Fast forward to his time at Arrows where yet another chance of switching to Turkey came about but was dimmed by the club.
"We spoke with the bosses and agreed that I will be allowed to leave at a later stage, but another is that they made sure I was happy there.
"Why would I have wanted to leave a place of happiness so early?" he told this publication in a previous interview.
Lunga had taken care of Egyptian superstar Mohammed Salah at the 2019 AFCON finals making sure that the Liverpool forward didn't inflict his usual damage.
That didn't break him as well.
Ultimately it led to a move to Sundowns where after just one season during which he only played a dozen games he was then loaned back to Arrows.
This couldn't even bruise him.
The season back at Arrows was top notch as he played 30 games but upon his return to Chloorkop found himself having to wait due to foreign quota issues.
Through the period from June 2023 to January this year, Lunga had to wait as his permanent residence application was being processed having qualified after five years in the country.
This experience stretched his patience and had him on his knees but with his chance coming in the first game after the break, Lunga hasn't looked like a player who didn't play for seven months.
Just like his name, the 28-year-old has been divine intervention bringing peace, happiness, and forgiveness just like his second name Xolile.
READ | Billiat's massive PSL loss after 'miracle move'
With four games in the pocket and the possibility of as many as 25 more to come for Sundowns, it could still feel like an accomplished campaign for Lunga.
Lunga will also have national team duties do with the Warriors after featuring in World Cup qualifiers in November.