A former Orlando Pirates defender has offered advise to Zakhele Lepasa, who has struggled to secure playing time since the previous season.
The 27-year-old forward has watched his position erode as Tshegofatso Mabasa and Evidence Makgopa have improved their performances since the middle of last season.
Lepasa did not play any matches during the pre-season training camp in Spain.
Edward Motale, a former Buccaneers defender, has pushed Lepasa to stay strong and strive for his spot at the Pirates.
He believes the former TS Galaxy striker can have a huge influence on the Sea Robbers when he is in peak form.
LEPASA URGED NOT TO LEAVE ORLANDO PIRATES
“He is still young. There is no reason for him to rush. “He should not leave the Orlando Pirates,” Motale told Soccer Laduma.
“He should stay and battle for his position on the team. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of when he’s in top form.
“Now that he’s returned from injury, he should give his all and demonstrate his ability to play for a big team like the Orlando Pirates.
“He’s been on loan before and fared quite well. Now is the moment for him to stay and fight. Fight quite hard.”
Motale claims that staying with Pirates is the only possibility for Lepasa to return to the national squad. Lepasa was a member of the squad that competed at the AFCON in Ivory Coast earlier this year.
‘HE IS CAPABLE OF DOING ALL THAT’
“For him to bounce back to the national team he should stay at Pirates and fight,”
“That fighting attitude will propel him to the starting lineup at Pirates, and eventually to the national team. We’ve seen what he can do while wearing the Bafana Bafana jersey.
“So I tell him to stay at Pirates. Win things and return to the national team. “He is capable of doing all that.”