Innocent Maela has reached a milestone at Orlando Pirates as he continues to lead by example after all these years.
Having come through Pirates' development and after spending some time playing for the now defunct Thanda Royal Zulu in the second tier, Maela joined Bucs' first team in 2017 and has been with the club since.
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The left-back made his debut for Ezimnyama in October 2017 against Golden Arrows and has never looked back. He was appointed as the Pirates captain in July 2022.
"Commitment, consistency, and loyalty have led to another milestone for Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela, who brought up a double century of appearances for the Club when they beat Jwaneng Galaxy 2-0 at the National Stadium in Gaborone on Saturday. The 32-year-old was brought on during the closing stages of the Buccaneers' triumph over the Botswana outfit in the away leg of the Second Preliminary Round of the CAF Champions League. His low-key placed him among a select few who have worn the badge on 200 or more occasions," Pirates stated on the club's official website.
"When I joined the Academy, my first goal was to improve as a player as much as I can. I didn't even think that one day I'd be playing for the first team. To get the opportunity to represent the Club so many times has been an honour to me and a privilege. I dedicate this milestone to all the players from the Academy who didn't have the opportunity to play for the First Team. This is for them," said Maela, speaking via the
7:08
Bucs' website.
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"One of my favourite memories is scoring against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby. That memory will stay with me for a very long time, and obviously becoming the Club's captain. That was a huge milestone for me and an honour to be voted by my teammates. It shows the contribution that I've made to the Club and how they see me as a human being and as a leader. So, that was also one of my favourite memories, as well as lifting trophies. As a development player, it's great when you get the opportunity to play for the First Team, and they name you as captain, then you go on and lift trophies," he added.
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