Chiefs and Pirates to have new captains next season

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are set to have new players leading the teams on the field as they have axed the players who were their captains last season. 

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Chiefs however still have Itumeleng Khune who is the club captain but he hardly had game time last season and is unlikely to be a regular feature in the upcoming term.

In Khune’s absence from the team, Bernard Parker and Ramahlwe Mphahlele were the captains. Daniel Cardoso was also handed the captain’s armband on a few occasions. 

But all three are no longer with Amakhosi. This leaves Arthur Zwane with the task of finding a new man to lead the team on the field. 

He has a few candidates in experienced campaigners like Keagan Dolly, Khama Billiat and Erick Mathoho. The latter is however down the pecking order. 

Another candidate for Zwane would be new man Zitha Khwinika who had the same duties at his old club Stellenbosch FC. 

Pirates have also axed all their captains from last season. The Buccaneers had Happy Jele, Thulani Hlatshwayo and Ntsikelelo Nyauza as captains last season. 

But all three have left the club. Hlatshwayo asked to be released after a dreadful two years at Pirates. He has since joined SuperSport United where he might be installed as captain if Ronwen Williams leaves. 

New Pirates coach Jose Riveiro will have a tough task choosing a new captain. But he could look at the likes of Thabang Monare, Thembinkosi Lorch and Ben Motswari as possible candidates. 

Innocent Maela captained Thanda Royal Zulu before and could be a solid candidate and so does goalkeeper Richard Ofori. 

There are also new signings Nkosinathi Sibisi and Tapelo Xoki who captained their former teams Golden Arrows and AmaZulu FC last season.

Olisa Ndah showed his quality last season and could be considered for the job now that he is on his second season and would have more confidence. 

The supporters will get to see who their new captains are on 6 August when their teams begin their DStv Premiership campaigns.

Pirates will start at home against Soweto rivals Swallows FC while Chiefs will be away to Royal AM in Durban on the same day.