I-ORLANDO Pirates iphoqelekile ukudlalisa, uZakhele Lepasa ngoba imlande kwiSuperSport United engafuni kwazise ubecabangela amathuba akhe okuba yingxenye yeBafana Bafana, kaHugo Broos, eya kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), ngoJanuwari, e-Ivory Coast.
Lona wumbono kaBruce Ramokgadi, awuveze Isolezwe ngesimo salo mgadli okusobala ukuthi usezinhlelweni zikaBroos futhi lokhu kulele ekutheni uyayidlala yini eyeligi kwiPirates ngesizini ezoqala.
Nakuba uRamokgadi ekuqonda ukuthi iPirates inejoka lokubophela uLepasa oneminyaka engu-26 ubudala, uthe naye kumele azame ukukhuphula ukuzethemba kwakhe.
IPirates ilande uLepasa ebimbolekise kwiSuperSport ngoJanuwari, wafika kuyona wagqama ngale ndlela yokuthi uze wabuyela kwiBafana yize edlale uhhafu wesizini.
NgokukaRamokgadi, iPirates imelwe wukumdlalisa ngoba akekho ongenayo imibuzo ngokumlanda kwayo ekubeni bekubukeka enethuba elihle lokuya e-Ivory Coast ngaphansi kukaGavin Hunt obemdlalise kuMatsatsantsa a Pitori.
“Indlela avalelise ngayo kubalandeli beSuperSport inginike umuzwa wokuthi ubengakafuni ukubuyela kwiPirates kodwa wasontwa yinkontileka,” kusho uRamokgadi owayeqhulula amagoli kwiPirates eminyakeni edlule.
“Nginalo nolwazi lokuthi kuneqembu laphesheya kwezilwandle ebelimfuna kodwa kwagcina kungalunganga, yingakho ngingangabazi ukuthi baphoqelekile ukumdlalisa kodwa nakhona konke lokho kulele kuyena,” kulandisa uRamokgadi.
ULepasa ubekhona ekhempini yaseSpain nePirates. Ngesikhathi evalelisa kwiSuperSport ngasekuqaleni kukaJulayi, ekhasini lakhe leTwitter, wathi: “Seluze lwafika lolu suku ekade ngangifisa sengathi lungangafika lapho kufanele ngivalelise khona ngokusemthethweni eqenjini ebese lifana nekhaya kimina.
“Ngeke ngisikhohlwe isikhathi engisihlale nabantu abangamukele ngezandla ezintofontofo, okwenze kwaba lula nakimina ukudlala ibhola. Ngeke ngilikhohlwe ithuba engilinikwe yiSuperSport.”
URamakgadi ozwakala ekholelwa kuLepasa ekubeni ngumgadli uthe lo mgadli kusemqoka ukuthi akhombise ukuzethemba njengoba esebuyele kweZimnyama.
IPirates ihlukane noTerrence Terrence Dzvukamanja, oqede isizini eseshisa phambi kwamapali. Usejoyine i-United. Kubagadli uLepasa uzobanga indawo noKermit Ersamus obengenayo isizini enhle kwedlule, u-Eva Nga naye oshaye udaka.
Kukhona no-Evidence Makgopa obehlushwa wukulimala. Leli qembu selishaya nangomgadli wangaphandle uSouaibou Marou.
“(ULapasa) Akayena umgadli obhedayo kepha ngesikhahti ekwiPirates ukuzethemba kwakhe bekuphansi. Uma ungumgadli ngeke wenze lutho uma ukuzethemba kwakho kuphansi.
“Kuhle ngoba ubuya ehambela phezulu kwazise ube nesandla esikhulu ekuzibekiseleni indawo kweBafana kwi-Afcon, ngakho-ke likhona ithemba.
“Ithuba unalo ngenxa yendlela abuye ngayo futhi wuyena ozokwenza umqeqeshi wePirates (uJose Riveiro) angakwazi ukumshiya ngaphandle,” kuphetha uRamokgadi.