On a busy deadline day, Swallows announced the loan signing of Bongani Sam from Orlando Pirates, amid initial misunderstanding on the nature of the transaction.
In related news, Pirates revealed on Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with SuperSport United for the services of Zakhele Lepasa, who would spend the remainder of the season on loan with Matsatsantsa.
This season, Lepasa has been relegated to a bench duty for the Pirates, and coach Jose Riveiro has now indicated why they were content for the 26-year-old to earn an opportunity elsewhere.
Riveiro was quoted by TimesLive as saying, “I wish Zakhele the best of luck because he’s a great guy and an excellent football player.” “As previously said, this is a highly competitive atmosphere with 36 players in the squad, and no one is guaranteed playing time. I understand all the guys who believe they need to play more and wish to find such opportunities elsewhere.
“I will have to respect and accept this, and hopefully he will demonstrate to the player that he belongs to SuperSport United.” It is typical in football, especially when you consider the size and quality of our group.”
According to renowned SABC Sport writer Mazola Molefe, the 28-year-old playmaker Tebogo Tlolane is also poised to be loaned away. He will return to KZN club Maritzburg United, where he spent time in 2020.
During the January transfer window, Pirates confirmed the purchase of the highly regarded Cameroonian striker Souaibou Marou, and it was always going to be intriguing to see what additional business the Buccaneers conducted during this period.
In an additional significant development, AmaZulu captain Makhehleni Makhaula has agreed to terms on a pre-contract with the Pirates and will join them immediately. The 33-year-old midfielder was reportedly signed by Pirates as a bit of a surprise due to AmaZulu’s lack of concrete indications in regards to negotiating a new contract.
The following statement was issued by pirates in reference to the agreement:
“The club would like to thank AmaZulu management for handling the transfer of Makhaula in a professional manner. Through the leadership and supervision of Chairman Sandile Zungu, Usuthu was transparent and cooperative during the discussions, allowing both clubs to complete the process quickly and easily. We applaud the board’s behavior and wish them the best for the remainder of the season.”
Sandile Zungu, president of AmaZulu, praised the veteran midfielder’s professionalism since joining Usuthu two and a half years ago.
“Makhaula departs with our best wishes. He has served the club very well as captain and was the recipient of the President’s and the player’s player of the year awards two seasons ago with merit,” said Zungu.
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