Why Ng'ambi rejected Sundowns and Pirates

Black Leopards midfield maestro Robert Ng'ambi is one of the longest-serving players in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The former Malawi international arrived in the country in 2005 when he joined Leopards where he achieved legendary status during a six-year stint.

Before moving to Platinum Stars where he established himself as a top-quality midfielder by playing a key role in helping the now-defunct club win some silverware and challenge for the Absa Premiership title.

SuperSport.com caught up with the 33-year-old playmaker, who opened up rejecting the biggest football clubs in the country.

You have been in the PSL for almost 15 years...

I have enjoyed my stay in the last 14 years and it has been a good journey for me here in South Africa having played for two clubs in the PSL.

I had six good seasons with Black Leopards and I moved to Platinum Stars where I had some success in terms of winning trophies.

WHERE DID YOU ENJOY YOUR FOOTBALL THE MOST?

It has to be at Stars because we won some silverware and we came close to winning the Absa Premiership title during the 2012/13 season when we finished second.

We had a very strong team which went on to win a cup double in the following campaign. It was great to help Dikwena win the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout Cup in 2013.

I also had a great time with Leopards and we managed to reach the Nedbank Cup final in 2011.

You were linked with Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United in 2014...

Yes, I had offers from all those clubs. I held talks with the Stars management and I decided to stay put.

There was no reason for me to leave Stars because they were taking good care of me and I was also enjoying my football.

I don't regret staying with Stars as it turned out to be a good decision.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO BACK TO LEOPARDS?

Leopards is my home. When they called me I did not hesitate because this is where I started my career in South Africa.

Like I said I had six good seasons here before I moved to Stars. They treat me like their own son and they made me who I am as a player.

WILL LEOPARDS AVOID RELEGATION THIS SEASON?

Yes, most definitely, we can survive relegation. We still have six games left and I believe that we have what it takes to retain our status in the league.

I don't think we deserve to be in this position. But we just have to fight for one another and we will stand a good chance of avoiding relegation.

HOW ARE YOU COPING WITH THE CURRENT 21-DAY LOCKDOWN?

It has been hectic and frustrating at the same time because we are not used to staying home as footballers.

We are always on the road either attending training or travelling to matches. I miss playing football, but I know it is imperative for me to stay at home.

Health comes first and we have to find a way to cope with the current situation and I hope everything goes back to normal.