Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Lebohang ‘Cheeseboy’ Mokoena has opened up about one of the club’s strangest incidents.
The former winger recalled an alleged kidnapping drama involving his teammate Punch Masenamela.
According to Mokoena, Masenamela claimed he had been abducted during Sundowns’ preparations for a weekend match.
He allegedly told club president Patrice Motsepe that his kidnappers wanted R1 million.
However, Sundowns investigated the situation and eventually discovered Masenamela at a lodge in the Vaal.
The call that sparked panic at Sundowns
Mokoena shared the unusual story while speaking on Soccerbeat.
The former Sundowns winger remembered how the squad first learned about Masenamela’s alleged disappearance.
“We were training in the week preparing for the weekend’s game and Friday, when we arrived at camp, calls came in and we were told Punch Masenamela had been kidnapped,” Mokoena said.
Naturally, the players became concerned and tried reaching their teammate.
Masenamela eventually contacted Motsepe and reportedly explained that he had been kidnapped.
“So we were all worried and tried to call him, asking ourselves, ‘What’s happening? Where’s Punch?’ Then Punch called and told the president [Patrice Motsepe] that he had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding a ransom,” Cheeseboy recalled.
The situation then became more serious when Masenamela allegedly revealed the ransom amount.
“Okay, sharp, the chairman asked how much they wanted. He was like, ‘They want R1 million so they can let me go.’ He thought he was dealing with guys from the side corner who would just send the money.”
Sundowns subsequently moved to establish exactly where the player was located.
The investigation produced an unexpected discovery
The club reportedly traced the call and eventually located Masenamela at a Vaal lodge.
Mokoena said the alleged kidnapping quickly unravelled once Sundowns found him there.
“So Sundowns then told him they’d sort that out. They made signals, traced his call and found out that Punch was at a lodge in the Vaal. He was busy with room service the whole time and making calls, asking for ransom,” Mokoena said while laughing.
The discovery reportedly left the club with more questions than answers.
“They found him and he was alone and asked, ‘So you’re not kidnapped? Who kidnapped you? Ransom?’”
Masenamela later returned to training, where his teammates wanted an explanation.
“When he arrived at training, all the players wanted to know the story,” he added.
However, the squad eventually turned the bizarre episode into a joke.
The players reportedly presented Masenamela with a briefcase and pretended it contained his requested R1 million ransom.
Senior players also warned him against repeating anything similar.
The bizarre episode therefore became an unforgettable story from Mokoena’s time at Sundowns.
The post Lebohang Mokoena Reveals the Bizarre Punch Masenamela ‘Kidnapping’ Saga at Sundowns appeared first on iHarare News.
