‘I almost signed with Kaizer Chiefs’: Former Pirates captain Happy Jele

Former Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele has revealed he nearly signed with the Buccaneers' bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs as an apprentice. 

Jele, who spent more than 16 successful years with Pirates, from his senior team debut in 2006 to his exit in 2022, trained with Amakhosi as a junior while he was in the books of Walter Stars in Mpumalanga but a deal was never concluded. 

Chiefs’ loss was Pirates gain as he went on to win two league titles, two Nedbank Cups, one Telkom Knockout trophy, three MTN8 titles, two Caf Confederation Cup silver medals plus another in the Caf Champions League at Bucs. 

“I almost signed with Kaizer Chiefs. We changed on the last day and the manager of the club, Bobby Motaung, knows that,” Jele said. 

“Every time I meet him [Motaung], he always reminds I was supposed to have signed with them. I always tell him he was too slow, but it is part of life and I think God led me to Orlando Pirates. That’s why I stayed there for such a long time.” 

Jele arrived at Naturena after he was selected following development trials. 

“When I arrived at Chiefs I think the coach was Ernst Middendorp, if I am not mistaken. Things went well but Walter Mokoena [Jele's manager then] felt it was not the right move for me.  

“He [Mokoena] organised a game for us [Walter Stars] against Orlando Pirates, who were passing Mpumalanga on their way to play a Caf game in Eswatini. We played against Pirates and on that I pushed because I wanted to play in the PSL and they wanted to sign.” 

Jele, a free agent after spending part of last season at Royal AM, was a key member of Pirates' back-to-back treble-winning combination of 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the team that lost against Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the 2013 Champions League final.

When he left Pirates, the club said Jele cemented his legendary status in the same way as Paolo Maldini (AC Milan), Steven Gerard (Liverpool), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Francesco Totti (AC Roma) and Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) had at their clubs.