Q&A with Bafana Bafana & Orlando Pirates forward Zakhele Lepasa
PUMA South Africa: What is the attraction to playing in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations?
Zakhele Lepasa: It is the biggest platform in African football, so opens a lot of opportunities for players to further their careers.
Your impressions of the home nation who played Bafana Bafana in October last year?
Ivory Coast is a strong team and playing at home will give their confidence a boost. With players like Sebastian Haller who plays for Dortmund, they’ll be difficult opponents to play against. Haller’s got good physical attributes and is very clinical in front of goal.
Which player are you most looking forward to playing against?
There are a lot of great African players. Some are even regarded as the best in the world. So, I am looking forward to playing against these guys.
What are the strengths of Bafana Bafana?
The team morale is high. We have one goal, and every player has something to prove. We haven’t achieved a lot with the national team, so this is the opportunity to make a name for ourselves.
Many footballers across the world head for Europe to grow their careers, but what are the pros and cons?
Everyone wants to play in Europe, as the move gives players platforms to compete at higher levels and ensure their financial security. But there are a lot of challenges, and it requires sacrifices. For example, you are far from you family, the food is different to what one is used to, the culture is foreign, and the language is a barrier sometimes.
When you watch football live or on TV do you relax and enjoy the game or are you working?
Football keeps evolving. So, I watch to analyse players who play my position, especially those playing at a higher level than me.
What qualities does it take to be an elite player in your position?
You need to know your strengths and keep elevating them, and to work hard on your weaknesses to eliminate them. You also need to watch a lot of football to better understand the game and grow your football knowledge. There’s also the mental aspect, as you need to have a never say die attitude is this game. You need to feed your brain the right stuff.
Which boots do you play in?
PUMA Ultra which are designed for attacking players. They are light, comfortable and great for quick changes of direction and acceleration.
