‘It’s not easy to sit on the bench at Orlando Pirates’ – Lepasa

The Buccaneers hitman is confident his chance will come despite not being happy with a lack of game time

Orlando Pirates striker Zakhele Lepasa has revealed the frustrations of not playing regular football but explained that coach Rhulani Mokwena keeps him focused and motivated.

The 22-year-old striker returned to the Soweto giants from a loan spell with Baroka FC at the beginning of the season but he has been struggling to make it to the first team, saying things are a bit different at Pirates.

Moreover, Lepasa admits that sitting on the bench can lead to frustration but he is aware that it takes a certain level of maturity to accept the situation as a professional footballer.

“It is easy to lose focus when you are not playing, but the coaches always tell me to stay focused,” Lepasa told Daily Sun.

“It is not easy to be on the bench we all want to play and we get frustrated if we do not play. But it takes a certain level of maturity to understand that not everyone is going to play.”

Speaking about waiting for his opportunity, the 2018/19 Nedbank Cup winner with the Rockets stated that he learns a lot at a club like Pirates.

“Everyone has their time to shine and at the moment I’m waiting for my time like everyone else. Things are different at Pirates compared to other teams,” he added.

“Everyday you get to learn something, and I have been enjoying myself since I came back to the club despite the lack of game time.”

Meanwhile, Lepasa has only featured in one Premier Soccer League (PSL) match for the 2018/19 runners-up and will hope to work hard to impress Mokwena as he competes against Tshegofatso Mabasa and Frank Mhango for a spot in the starting line-up.

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