How Jele proved Orlando Pirates legend Lekgwathi wrong twitter facebook reddit twitter facebook reddit

Orlando Pirates legend Lucky Lekgwathi has revealed how the current captain Happy Jele proved him wrong while serving the Premier Soccer League side.

Jele, 34, the most capped Pirates player in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era, has been at the club for 15 years, but his physique when he arrived, made Lekgwathi doubt whether he was destined to adapt to the pressure and demands at Bucs.

Jele suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee after a collision with a Bidvest Wits star that kept him out from 2011 to 2012 and how he bounced back is one of the reasons that made Lekgwathi praise him.

Proved wrong

"I remember when he got injured, people thought it was over for him, but he fought back hard and after having senior players like Benni [McCarthy] and me speak with him, the boy had confidence again and believed he would come back strong," Lekgwathi told Goal.

"He proved many people wrong, and now at his age and playing for the Pirates, I think he is doing very well. 400 games for Pirates are not easy.

"You know, there is politics in football sometimes, but you must leave politics aside and I remember when he came to the team as a youngster, he was a slender, and thin boy. I was like 'a defender like this' but hey he proved me wrong.

"Thereafter, I went on and believed he was the future captain of Orlando Pirates and people questioned my belief, but today he is the captain of the team. Playing 400 games is amazing and unbelievable, and for someone to break that record is not going to be easy.

"That record is going to be there for years, and I do not know who is going to break it.

"I am so proud of the boy; his hard work, discipline, dedication and respect. It was not easy for him, but he managed, and even now he is still pushing at the age of 34 or 35. I am so proud of him and I wish he could be given opportunities to play more, so long as he can still run."

Lekgwathi - who served the Soweto giants for 12 years - was part of the Pirates squad that made history between 2010 and 2012 when they clinched a double treble.