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By Tshepo Ntsoelengoe

Football Journalist


Davids laments Orlando Pirates captain Jele’s injury

Jele lasted only for 52 minutes in the game against Royal AM.


Orlando Pirates suffered another injury blow, this time around it was captain Happy Jele, who limped off the field following their 1-1 draw with Royal AM in a DStv Premiership at the Orlando Stadium last Thursday.

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Jele lasted only for 52 minutes in the game, after getting a knock on the knee and was later replaced by Thulani Hlatshwayo, and Davids reckons the Bucs’ skipper’s injury is a very serious one.

The Bucs skipper’s injury adds to the list of players who are nursing injuries at the Buccaneers, with the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch, Innocent Maela, Ben Motshwari, Zakhele Lepasa, Vincent Pule and two goalkeepers Wayne Sandilands and Richard Ofori , all working their way to recovery.

“He will go for his scans, but at the moment it looks like a knee problem,” said Davids about Jele’s injury.

“We don’t know the extent of it. The doctors have checked him but now, of course, with the swelling, we are not really able to make a diagnosis at this very moment. But on Friday we will have the scans and get more information, but it doesn’t look good.”

After the game, Jele was walking with the help of crutches, but the Bucs medical team are yet to give details on the extent of the damage.

Jele gets injured having been a first choice player at centre-back, while Davids and co-coach Mandla Ncikazi have been changing Olisa Ndah and Hlatshwayo to partner with the current Pirates long time serving player in the squad.

The Pirates captain has played 10 games this season, scoring two goals, with one of goals coming in an important clash against Diables Noirs in the second leg of the Caf Champions League, which Pirates won 1-0 to qualify for the next round.