Tapelo Xoki of Orlando Pirates celebrates goal with teammates during the DStv Premiership 2023/24 match against and Stellenbosch FC at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the 29 December 2023 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
PSL rivals ready to monitoring Orlando Pirates striker!
A former club is reportedly ready to offer an Orlando Pirates striker an escape route as he struggles to nail down a starting berth at the side.
Tapelo Xoki of Orlando Pirates celebrates goal with teammates during the DStv Premiership 2023/24 match against and Stellenbosch FC at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the 29 December 2023 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
Orlando Pirates are believed to be on the market for a striker, but already have a few.
One of those strikers being Zakhele Lepasa, who is again rumoured for the Pirates exit door!
Lepasa started the season well for Pirates, going on the pre-season tour to Spain and doing enough to stay. The player was then upgraded to the number nine jersey after the departure of Tshegofatso Mabasa on loan. That move seemed to do the trick for the Bafana Bafana international as he rediscovered his scoring boots.
But a mixture of injuries and falling out of favour has since seen Lepasa on the peripheries of the Pirates squad. The striker was also recently left out of the match day squad for the Soweto Derby. It is then no surprise that links of an exit have resurfaced. A former team in SuperSport United is reportedly keen to sign him again according to Soccer-Laduma.
SuperSport to offer Lepasa way out of Pirates?
“The Siya crew understands SuperSport United would look into the possibility of bringing back Orlando Pirates striker Zakhele Lepasa next season. Despite his struggles at Pirates, the 26-year-old has been getting Bafana Bafana call-ups from head coach Hugo Broos. With Bradley Grobler heading towards the end of his career and uncertainty surrounding the future of Mamelodi Sundowns loanee Etiosa Ighodaro, SuperSport are understood to be in the market to add a striker to the squad and Lepasa is an option for the Tshwane outfit. If Matsatsantsa qualify for continental football again next season, they are going to need to have enough in their squad to compete.” Wrote the publication.
Lepasa did not have the best of loan spell at SuperSport last season. It was then a surprise that Pirates took him back instead of selling him. He was also linked with some European clubs and it remains to be seen if there is still interest there.
