Rakhale opens up about how he was dribbled out of Pirates

Thabo Rakhale has lifted the lid on how Orlando Pirates shipped him off to Chippa United without consultation.

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The former Pirates star, who endeared himself to the supporters with his silky skills, says he only heard of his move to Chippa when he read about it. 

Rakhale is currently unattached after going to a few clubs including Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila after leaving Pirates.

“It was one of those things, when coaches come and go, a new coach can say you are not in his plans. 

“Things started to go sideways for me, I started being benched. The coaches were Micho and Rulani Mokwena that time,” Rakhale told Metro FM’s Sports Nights Amplified.

“I wouldn’t say they didn’t like how I played, but maybe for their system I wasn’t suitable. 

“Because when they came the first thing they did was to change the formation of the team, and the structure of how we should play. 

“But honestly speaking, I would say I never got a chance to adjust to the system they wanted us to play,” he explained.

Getting positive feedback

“But before the December break, they started to play me and I played well. 

“The day after our last game I got an SMS from coach Micho, who said, ‘we can see you’re becoming the player we want you to be. You did very well for the team, you did well for yourself’. 

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“I was so happy and think now I need to work more to be getting the game-time. I should be getting come the second round of the league,” said Rakhale.

“(But) funny enough one morning I woke up and I saw on Soccer Laduma that I am being sent to Chippa United. 

“Two, three days after those compliments I see on the internet that I’m leaving the team. No one (from Pirates) ever spoke to me about anything,” said the ex-Pirates dribbling wizard.

“I had to call Flyod Mbhele because even from the office nobody called me. Firstly I called my agent, and asked him ‘can you please check with me for the team what’s happening regarding this’. 

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“He said, ‘let me get back to you’. Then he called me back and said this is what’s happening. He didn’t know either. Then I called Floyd Mbhele and he was like ‘yeah, this is what’s happening’.

“A few hours later, I got a call from coach Tebogo Moloi, who was the head coach at Chippa United, and he told me ‘I’ve been waiting for you this side’.”