PODCAST | Happy Jele confesses he never met new Pirates coach Riveiro

Orlando Pirates' most-capped player, Happy Jele, exclusively told Robert Marawa on Marawa Sports Worldwide that he never met new coach Jose Riveiro as he was busy negotiating his future with the Bucs chair Irvin Khoza.

Pirates this week announced they would not be renewing the contract of 16-year servant Jele.

Jele, 35, joined Bucs from amateur team Walter Stars in 2006. He was an integral part of Bucs’ famous back-to-back treble-winning teams of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, and the side that reached the 2013 Caf Champions League final.

Pirates said Jele was offered an off-field position but the defender said he wanted to continue playing, which the club said was not possible.

“Not yet — I've never met the new coach. When my contract finished that's when we started our talk, me and the chair — It's almost three, four weeks [negotiating], if I'm not mistaken. So I've never met the new coach. I was busy with talks with the chair,” Jele told MSW.

Asked if the coach had seen him on the training ground, Jele said: “Maybe he knows my [video] clips.”

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