Following a prolonged spell on the sidelines, Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele is delighted to be donning the black and white once again.
Read: What JZ Told Pirates’ Goal Scorer Behind The Scenes
Jele, who is the longest-serving member of the current Bucs squad, faced a selection conundrum at the start of the season following the arrival of Bucs’ marquee signing Thulani Hlatshwayo.
With Josef Zinnbauer preferring the combination of Hlatshwayo and Nyauza, there was no room for ‘Magents’ in the Bucs squad. This resulted in the skipper missing out on 11 of Pirates 21 games this season.
However, with Pirates’ fluctuating results there were calls for the 34-year-old to return to the starting XI, as a solution to the side’s leaky defence.
Read: JZ: Chiefs Great Threat Is…
Jele has featured consecutively in Pirates’ last five games which saw them rack up two wins and two draws while suffering just one defeat in the process.
Speaking to the media ahead of the highly anticipated Soweto derby, Jele has opened up on his challenging time on the sidelines.
“I’ve been working so hard each and every day, waiting for my chance and supporting the guys that were playing. I’ve been in the game before so I know the coach will select any player that he wants to use on the day. For me as a captain, I have to support each and everyone because we have got one goal in this team,” Jele said speaking to the media
“Last time we won the MTN8 I was there to support the guys and even now, I’m working so hard to get my chance and play again,” he added.
Read: Win Over Swallows Could Help SSU Catch Wobbling Sundowns
Jele will be hoping that his 29th Soweto derby a will be a victorious one for his Pirates side who take on a rejuvenated Kaizer Chiefs at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
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