THERE’S nothing that is more frustrating than not getting game time at your club.
And Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament, Zakhele Lepasa, is currently going through that phase at Orlando Pirates.
The 22-year-old striker returned to Bucs in the pre-season after rising to stardom by helping TS Galaxy on their incredible giant-killing spree that ended with them beating Kaizer Chiefs in the Ke Yona Cup final in May.
That was the Rockets’ first appearance in the competition.
However, his return has been a challenging one at Bucs with the team going through some tough times, struggling to get results.
He has seen less game time as coach Rhulani Mokwena has preferred the likes of Gabadinho Mhango and Tshegofatso Mabaso in attack.
But that does not faze the soft-spoken Lepasa who says he is drawing inspiration from the duo, who are currently doing well for the team as he waits for his turn to shine.
“It is easy to lose focus when you are not playing, but the coaches always tell me to stay focused,” Lepasa told SunSport during the opening day of the Walter Sisulu Discovery games in Soweto.
“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.”
However, the player remains positive that his turn will come at the right time.
He stated: “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,”
“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.”
The player admitted there’s pressure from the hard-to-please Bucs fans as they are expecting him to display the same performances, he showed during last season’s Nedbank Cup.
