Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Sabelo Radebe is at Lerumo Lions. Image: Gallo Images
Lerumo Lions head coach Tshepo Maphari has explained why former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Sabelo Radebe has not been able to play regularly ever since joining the Motsepe Foundation Championship club in January.
Sabelo’s signing was sealed in January after he was assessed by the technical team towards the end of 2025, but has struggled to break into the starting line-up, often coming on as a substitute or not featuring at all. Against University of Pretoria this past Saturday, Radebe was not in the matchday squad.
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Another player that has been missing from the line-up recently is former Orlando Pirates midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu.
“Nkanyiso Zungu is carrying a bit of a knock. We tried playing him in the previous game. He is carrying an injury. In terms of the position Radebe plays, that’s a position we felt that we needed to sacrifice with an under-23 player in the number 10 position. Just because you are an experienced player, it does not mean you are guaranteed a place in the team. You still need to put in the effort at training. At the time, whenever we make the selection, we go with the players that we feel will give us the result for that game,” Maphari said to Soccer Laduma.
“We are not going to be harsh on him. He really stayed on the sidelines for a long time, so we are not going to be harsh. Sometimes you don’t just throw a player in and he does not give you what you require and then everybody turns on him as if he doesn’t have anything to offer anymore. It was important for him to regain his confidence, but he understood. We didn’t just leave him on the sidelines. We had a chat with him to say he plays a bigger role in terms of encouraging the young ones around him. So, he is still a valuable player to the team.”
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With their victory over AmaTuks, Lerumo have guaranteed that they will be in the Championship for at least another season. This has been their first season in the league after purchasing the status of Pretoria Callies before the start of the campaign. The win moved them to 35 points and now they can start planning for next season.
“It’s a great feeling. Not only because it’s our first season, but it’s common knowledge that we acquired the status two weeks before the league started. With no pre-season and 80 percent of players who had never played in this league, it makes it extra special. I think we have done well and I’m going to cherish this moment for the rest of my life.”
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