Orlando Pirates latest | Jele cements legendary status with new record!

Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele may have long earned the plaudits as a club legend but Saturday saw him cement it with a new record.

After missing over 15 matches for Pirates due to a hip injury, Jele returned in the final two league matches to break a long-standing club record and set a new one.

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Jele surpassed Williams Okpara’s record for the most in a Pirates jersey (376) during his team’s 0-0 draw against Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

But he first matched Okpara’s record (375) in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Baroka; the record he could have long broken this past season had it not been for his injury.

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When Okpara set the record during the 2004-05 season, Jele had not turned professional as he was playing amateur football for Walter Stars.

He would join Pirates in 2006, making his debut against Maritzburg United the same season as a very young boy from the Mpumalanga province.

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This means it took over 15 years for Okpara’s club record to be broken, and it had to be broken by one of Pirates’ loyal and long-serving members.

Now, with this record, Jele’s name will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come, and it will take years for anyone to match it.

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In those 376 starts Jele made for Pirates, he contributed 16 top-flight goals.

The 34-year-old will now hope to secure his future at Pirates as his current deal is coming to end on 30 June.