Zakhele Lepasa explains why he forced Orlando Pirates exit
“Honestly, I'm the one who asked for the loan move."
Zakhele Lepasa has explained the reasons behind requesting a loan move away from Orlando Pirates, claiming that the Soweto giants were against the idea of releasing him.
The Bafana Bafana forward joined SuperSport United on loan for the remainder of the season in January to get more game time.
He revealed that negotiations for his release at Pirates on loan took a month, insinuating that he was unsettled in Soweto.
The 25-year-old striker had played 13 games in all competitions with one goal and one assist to his name before penning a loan deal with DStv Premiership side SuperSport.
“I’m doing well at SuperSport. It’s a different environment, but what I like is the freedom that I’ve been given to learn and make mistakes, and so I’m settling well,” said Lepasa.
“Honestly, I’m the one who asked for the loan move; obviously, the club did not agree; they did not want for the whole month. I think it dragged on for the whole of January.
why LEPASA desperately wanted to leave Pirates
“But I asked for it because I just thought that I needed to play a bit more so I can gain my strength back, so I can get my confidence back.
“So, being back and forth, you play, then three games later, you don’t play, you don’t know where your career is going, so that’s why I asked for the loan,” added the Soweto-born striker.
Lepasa, in not so many words, stated that he knew that the arrival of Kermit Erasmus, Ndumiso Mabena and Souaibou Marou last month meant that he would drop down the pecking order.
He was coy about his future at Pirates and did not rule out the possibility of a permanent move away from the club.
With his mind set on playing overseas, Lesapa is aware that being on the bench will only derail his career; hence he stated that he wants to be in a club where he will play regularly.
“At the moment, I’m not even thinking about going back to Pirates or what will happen at the end of the season,” he added. “For me is just to try and focus and help SuperSport because I’m here, and when the transfer window opens again, we’ll see what happens if I have to go back or not.”
Probed on the possibility of joining SuperSport on a permanent deal, Lepasa said: “I don’t know, [it depends on game time] and also what I want for myself and what’s available.
“I still have a lot of years left at Pirates; you can imagine.
“So I just thought about it like each and every year the same thing will happen they will bring in three more strikers, then you go down the hierarchy, you are always low, you’re always down there even if you push yourself but one mistake you’re out, so it doesn’t really work out for me.
“Maybe the loan will help, but in general, as a player, my goal is not to play in the PSL for the rest of my life if there’s a chance, it doesn’t matter where, and if it’s a bit better, then why not?
“Football only changes your life if you are on the football field, not the bench, not in a big team, so it doesn’t really matter where you play as long as you do well; that’s where my head space is at. If I go back then it will be because of God.”
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