The reason for Orlando Pirates striker Zakhele Lepasa's reported move to SuperSport United failed, has since been revealed.
The 27-year-old former TS Galaxy FC striker was strongly linked with a move back to the Pretoria club.
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As reported by this website, it was understood that SuperSport Gavin Hunt was keen on filling the gap left by the injured Bradley Grobler, who is expected to be out for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The 27-year-old struggled to regain his place in the Pirates team after his loan stint. Injuries and the current form of Tshegofatso Mabasa, who scored 15 goals last season to win the PSL Golden Boot, were contributory factors to Lepasa being relegated to the sidelines.
The forward's last game for the Buccaneers was in April against the now-defunct Moroka Swallows.
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In January 2023, Lepasa had a loan stint with Matsatsantsa and scored two goals in nine appearances, earning himself a Bafana Bafana call-up.
After a dream start following his return to the Sea Robbers in the 2023/24 season, he was impressive in the MTN8 and the CAF Champions League but lost his scoring touch as the season progressed.
Lepasa scored 7 goals in 5 matches in the opening stages of the last campaign, last scoring for Pirates in December 2023 when he netted a hat-trick against Sekhukhune United.
Shockingly, according to a source, Lepasa's name was never discussed at SuperSport United in recent weeks.
"To be honest, in all our discussions about players, his name never came up. Maybe there were discussions I didn't know about," an insider at the club informed KickOff.
It remains to be seen whether the attacker will bounce back at the Bucs.