It's come to the Siya crew's attention that striker Zakhele Lepasa has caught the attention of international scouts. The Orlando Pirates forward spent the last six months on loan at SuperSport United and it's expected that he will return to his parent club next month before a decision on his future can be taken by the Buccaneers.
Lepasa had contrasting fortunes during the 2022/23 season, starting it off a Pirates player under new coach Jose Riveiro and then surprisingly being loaned out to DStv Premiership rivals Matsatsantsa at the halfway mark.
The player has himself admitted he requested for the move after he strangely fell down the pecking order with the arrival of Kermit Erasmus at the Soweto giants as well as the signing of Cameroonian attacker Souaibou Marou.
"I asked for it because I just felt I needed to play a bit more," Lepasa told journalists after concluding the transfer.
"The club didn't want to release me – it dragged for the whole month of January. I needed to gain my confidence back. You play for three games, then you don't play… I didn't know where my career was going," he said, at the time.
Soccer Laduma now understands the Bafana Bafana forward, who scored in his last two appearances for the national team, has been put on the radar of a few interested suitors overseas. But the stumbling block here is whether Pirates will agree to sell if there's a genuine offer tabled in the coming months before the window slams shut in August.
Should more South African players look for opportunities abroad?
