SSU leave door open for Lepasa talks

SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews has revealed that a clause to buy Zakhele Lepasa outright was not included in the loan agreement with Orlando Pirates, but indications are that it does not rule out the possibility of keeping the player at Matsatsantsa beyond the current season.

Lepasa made a shock loan move to SuperSport on the final day of the January transfer window, signing a deal with the club until the end of the season.

With the acquisition of Ndumiso Mabena and Souaibou Marou, it appears that the former TS Galaxy man was not going to get as much game-time as he would have expected with the Soweto giants.

Before leaving the Buccaneers to join Matsatsantsa, he had made 13 appearances in all competitions and had found the back of the net just once, with no assists to his name.

The Siya crew spoke to Matthews about the possibility of keeping the 25-year-old beyond the end of the season, and he hinted that they would look into the matter in the coming months, depending on how things go with the Bafana Bafana striker.

“We do not have an option (to buy Lepasa), but I would not have brought him here if I did not feel that there was a capacity for us to keep him. If he does well and he enjoys it here, we would sit down with Pirates at the end of the season and see what we can work out to try to keep him here,” Matthews revealed.

Lepasa is regarded as one of the most talented strikers in South Africa and played a key part in SuperSport’s 2-0 win over Cape Town City last weekend. spot in Mamelodi Sundowns’ starstudded side next season.

Ighodaro has been on Downs’ books since 2019, having been spotted as a 17-year-old while coming through the ranks at Abuja Football College in Nigeria.

However, the young star’s progress was delayed by the injury he suffered in training while trying to work his way into the first team at the Brazilians.

The striker was subsequently given an opportunity to get his career back on track at University of Pretoria, where he impressed in their promotion-chasing campaign last season, which ended in the promotion/relegation play-offs.

Turning out on loan for Chippa United this campaign, the 21-year-old is currently jointsecond in the goalscoring charts with SuperSport United’s Bradley Grobler and Kaizer Chiefs’ Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, on seven goals. Masandawana’s Peter Shalulile is leading the charts with his nine goals scored to date.

Ighodaro’s work-rate has impressed and according to insiders, there is talk in the Sundowns corridors that he will form part of Mokwena’s set-up next season and be given a serious opportunity to break into the first team.

“Ighodaro is being closely monitored by Sundowns for the progress he is making and the club is happy with him. The boy still belongs to Sundowns and his name has been discussed,” said a source.

“There are several other clubs that are keen on the player, but they are not aware that he belongs to Sundowns. He is on form and none of his goals were penalties,” noted the source.

Mendieta open to Chiefs move?

News reaching the Siya crew’s desk is that Junior Mendieta is open to being transferred to Kaizer Chiefs if they do formally table an offer which is then accepted by Stellenbosch FC.

The nippy attacker is a key a figure of coach Steve Barker’s outfit, though according to well-placed sources, the 29-year-old would welcome a move to Gauteng.

Chiefs’ attack has left a lot to be desired this season, with Amakhosi managing just over a goal a game, having netted 20 times in 19 league matches under the mentorship of coach Arthur Zwane.

While the likes of Ashley Du Preez and Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana were roped in at the start of the campaign, the Soweto giants’ strikers have not quite delivered up to the club’s expectations and with Khama Billiat being linked with a possible exit, couple with the fact his season is over owing to injury, Zwane will need cover in the role.

Since joining Stellies in 2021, initially on loan, and thereafter h as establishe dh imself as one of the best attackers in the DStv Premiership and indications are that he has been identified as a possible solution for Zwane’s attacking concerns.

The Argentine, however, is under contract with Stellies, which means that Chiefs would have to pay a transfer fee if they were to make an official approach for the player.

According to sources, there has been no official approach from Amakhosi at this point time, though they are already planning for the 2023/24 campaign, having recently signed Christian Salie Basomboli from Nchanga Rangers in Zambia.