TARGETMAN

Zakhele Lepasa has put his injury nightmare behind him and is ready to fire for Orlando Pirates.

- By Mazola Molefe

Thanks to a coach who barely knew him until a few months ago, striker Zakhele Lepasa is finally coming out of the shadow of the 2019 Nedbank Cup final.

Orlando Pirates mentor José Riveiro wiped the slate clean for everyone when he took over from co-coaches Fadlu Davids and Mandla Ncikazi, and in no time had decided the 25-year-old after first toying with the idea of making Bienvenu Eva Nga the leading man would be the club's first-choice forward.

Lepasa did not only have confidence issues, but had struggled with injuries as well.

Following his return from a loan spell at TS Galaxy, then in the lower division, and being on a high from scoring the winning penalty against Kaizer Chiefs in the cup final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, his parent team welcoming him back proved an anticlimax.

Just six games from all competitions during a season in which there were three different head coaches running Buccaneers - Micho Sredojević, Rhulani Mokwena and Josef Zinnbauer - and Lepasa reduced to a fringe player.