Lepasa doubtful for Pirates clash against Spurs

Orlando Pirates could face Cape Town Spurs in the last 16-round of the Carling Black Label Knockout on Friday at Orlando Stadium without their top goal-scorer Jose Riveiro. 

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Lepasa, who is Bucs top scorer with 13 goals so far this season, was recently released from the Bafana Bafana camp after it was revealed that he had sustained an injury. 

Lepasa’s withdrawal from the squad saw a lot of speculation regarding why he left the camp, with a source even telling this website that the striker had a fall out with coach Hugo Broos.

Riveiro, however, says Lepasa had some injury problems prior to honouring the call-up. 

“Zakes (Lepasa) came back from the camp last Saturday. If I am not mistaken, it was in the morning due to the injury. To be honest, he did have some problems before the (MTN8 Cup) revealed Riveiro.

“We were really taking care of Zakhele in the days before the final because he was not 100 percent until the final day. He finished the game, but again, he was not 100 percent, but he made it to the national team camp.”

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“If Zakes didn’t complete the national team camp, you can trust me that it is because he was not 100 percent, and the doctors and physios decided that the best [thing] for the player was to come back to us.

“We will decide in the next 24 hours if he will be able to play or not and if he’s not playing somebody is going to be there to replace him. We are a collective and we don’t add drama to a drama when a player can’t be there. We move on and look for the next one”  

Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Relebohile Mofokeng, who has been one of the regulars in the Bucs line-up, will certainly miss the match after Riveiro confirmed that the teenager is on trial with English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.