Ex-Sundowns star Lebohang Mokoena has paid homage to his former teammate and close friend Gift Leremi on the 10 year anniversary of his death.

Yesterday marked a decade since Leremi's untimely passing at the age of 22 when his vehicle overturned after losing control of it in Alberton on the evening of September 3 2007.

Leremi and Mokoena were inseparable from a young age since they first met as teenagers in Soweto playing for a local club in Orlando.

Both had similar career paths as they went on to join the Orlando Pirates academy and both subsequently went on to earn promotion to the first team.

Leremi died a month after joining Sundowns in 2007 while Mokoena would later also join Sundowns in 2009. "He comes into my dreams sometimes and I remember him a lot because we used to do everything together. The bond we had was very special," Mokoena said.

One of his fondest memories of Leremi was when they were in high school and both had to write an exam in the morning before going on to each score later that day to lead the Buccaneers to a 2-1 win over Free State Stars in 2005.