Siwelele FC head coach Lehlohonolo Seema has explained why Samkelo Zwane, Kgaogelo Sekgota, and Zakhele Lepasa missed the club’s Betway Premiership clash against Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
The Bloemfontein-based side played to a 1-1 draw against Pirates at the Orlando Amstel Arena, with Vincent Pule scoring for the away side and Tshepang Moremi netting the equalising goal for the Soweto giants.
Siwelele held Pirates to a frustrating draw, denting their ambitions of winning the league as they failed to move three points clear at the top of the table over second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns. The Buccaneers are sitting at the summit of the log standings with 48 points after 21 games, while Sundowns have collected 47 points with one game in hand.
Meanwhile, Siwelele collected a crucial point away from home to boost their push to survive relegation and save their top-flight status. In 20 matches, they accumulated 23 points, registering five wins, eight draws, and seven defeats.
In a match against Pirates, Siwelele were without the services of Sekgota and Zwane, who didn’t make the matchday squad.
The talented midfielder, Zwane, joined Siwelele at the start of the 2025/26 season on a season-long loan from Kaizer Chiefs to search for regular playing minutes after struggling for game time at his parent club.
However, the former SA junior international hasn’t been able to break into the starting line-up at Siwelele after featuring in only seven appearances across all competitions.
On the other hand, Sekgota signed with Siwelele in January 2026 from ABC Motsepe League side Tubatse United. The pacey winger has had a challenging past few years in his career, battling substance abuse that derailed his career.
Before disappearing from the elite league, Sekgota played for teams such as Bidvest Wits, Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch FC, and Motsepe Foundation Championship side Upington City FC.
After joining Siwelele, Sekgota scored a goal on his debut against Richards Bay FC. The left-footed winger went on to feature in five matches in all competitions as he aims to get his career back on track.
WHAT SEEMA SAID ABOUT SEKGOTA, ZWANE, AND LEPASA
Sekgota, alongside his former teammate at Chiefs, Zwane, were notable absentees in a match against Pirates. Seema has revealed that the duo was missing in action due to the squad rotation.
Also among the notable absentees was Lepasa, who joined the club as a free agent in September 2025 after leaving Orlando Pirates. Adding to the list of missing personnel is Chiefs loanee Happy Mashiane, whose continued absence from the matchday squad remains a talking point as Siwelele navigates a crucial stretch of the season.
โWe have a deep squad, and you will see frequent changes. Some players are in the starting XI and others are on the bench because we are training as a collective; we are trying to distribute game time to keep the group as fresh as possible. They are still very much part of the plans,โ Seema explained.
โThe only forced absence was Ghampani Lungu, who failed a late fitness test. For the rest, itโs about management. Look at Wayde Lekayโwe are rotating to ensure everyone is ready. [Zwane, Sekgota, and Lepasa] are there; we are simply managing the squad with nine crucial games to go.โ
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