'No one capable of filling Jele's shoes at Bucs'

Following Happy Jele’s departure from Orlando Pirates on Monday, former goalkeeper Innocent Mayoyo has given his thoughts on who could take over the armband at the club.

The departures of Jele, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Ntsikelelo Nyauza and Wayne Sandilands recently, players who have worn the captain’s armband before, means the Buccaneers have to find new leaders ahead of the new season.

But looking at the players who are remaining, Mayoyo believes it will be difficult for the club to choose who will lead the team as most of the players are still new.

“From Happy, if you look around who got many years around in the club and it looks like no one is ready,” Mayoyo explained to Sowetan yesterday. “For me, it is not going to be easy to point out an individual.

“Being a captain you have to possess some leadership qualities. It is not a matter of how long you've been there. You must have the ability to lead.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t see anybody especially after losing Happy and the other players that we have lost like Nyauza and others who were showing some leadership qualities. It’s not going to be easy, to be honest.”

Many Pirates supporters feel goalkeeper Richard Ofori, Olisah Nda or Thembinkosi Lorch are capable of leading the team, while new signings Nkosinathi Sibisi and Tapelo Xoki were captains at Golden Arrows and AmaZulu before joining the club.

But Mayoyo is not convinced they can lead a team like Pirates. “We still need people who are going to understand the culture at Pirates,” he said.

“You just don’t lead the team on the field, you lead the nation then that person must possess leadership. It will be easy for me to go for Ofori, but he is still a new player at Pirates and he has not yet established himself.

“There is a glimpse of leadership in terms of the fighting spirit and the eagerness of doing well. If you go for a Lorch, you will only do so because of the years he has spent in the club, but nothing is showing that he's got those guts of pushing the boys."