Siwelele FC head coach Godfrey Mosoetsa has explained why striker Zakhele Lepasa has struggled to feature regularly this season, revealing that the forward needed additional time to rebuild his fitness before returning to competitive action.
Mosoetsa addressed the situation during a Carling Knockout Cup press conference in Parktown on Thursday, ahead of Siwelele’s quarter-final meeting with Kaizer Chiefs at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.
The coach confirmed that Lepasa is now available after spending an extended period working on his physical conditioning. He said the club had waited until the striker was ready before including him in matchday plans.
Striker Has Made Only One Appearance This Season
The 29-year-old has had very limited involvement in Siwelele’s 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign. His only appearance so far came against Marumo Gallants, when he played a six-minute cameo late in the match.
Lepasa is in his second season with the Bloemfontein-based club after joining as a free agent in July 2025. His contract with boyhood club Orlando Pirates had expired before the move.
His first campaign at Siwelele also brought limited opportunities, with the striker making just three appearances across all competitions.
He initially joined the club under former head coach Lehlohonolo Seema, who has since been redeployed to take charge of Siwelele’s DStv Diski Challenge team.
Mosoetsa Says Every Player Was Given a Fresh Opportunity
Mosoetsa explained that when he took charge, he wanted all players to have an equal opportunity to establish themselves, with selection based on their training performances and conduct both on and off the pitch.
“I think almost everyone in this room knows who Zakhele Lepasa is. So when I came to the team, the one thing that I did was to make sure that everyone starts on a clean slate,” he said.
The coach described Lepasa as an intelligent and humble player who is willing to ask challenging questions.
He said the striker’s period away from competitive football meant that his return had to be managed carefully, particularly to ensure he regained an adequate physical foundation.
FIFA International Break Provided Time to Rebuild Fitness
According to Mosoetsa, the previous FIFA international break gave the technical team an opportunity to work on Lepasa’s conditioning before deciding when to bring him back into the squad.
“For me, it was just a question of how long he hasn’t played, and the [previous] FIFA break gave us the opportunity for him to be able to form a base, and once we felt that he was ready, that’s when we said, let’s bring him in,” Mosoetsa explained.
He added that the club did not rush the forward’s return, with the match against Marumo Gallants marking his first appearance after the extended period without playing.
The coach said Siwelele hoped Lepasa would now contribute the qualities for which he is known as the team works to improve its performances.
Siwelele Need Experienced Players to Improve League Position
Mosoetsa said experienced players would be important as Siwelele attempt to move away from their current position in the league standings.
“We didn’t bring him in immediately, and the game against Marumo was his first game, and going forward we hope that at least he’ll bring certain elements that we know him for. We need such players for us to get out of where we are; we will need a lot of experienced players to take us out of the woods,” he said.
Siwelele currently occupy 14th position in the Betway Premiership, with six points from nine matches. Their record stands at one victory, three draws and five defeats.
The club will now turn its attention to Sunday’s Carling Knockout quarter-final against Kaizer Chiefs, where it will seek a victory to advance to the semi-finals and improve confidence ahead of its continuing league campaign.
