‘With Sipho, it’s simple, I just told him he has a last chance at Pirates,’ said Mokoena.
Sipho Mbule’s former youth coach, Pitso Mokoena, has urged the gifted midfielder to seize what he believes is his “last chance” to fulfil his potential at Orlando Pirates. Mbule is enjoying a revival at the Buccaneers since joining on a free transfer at the start of the campaign.
His impressive form has seen him force his way back into Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad, who recently booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
ALSO READ: Teboho Mokoena opens up on Bafana suspension saga
The highly-rated yet often troubled playmaker spent last season on loan at Sekhukhune United from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he reportedly battled with off-the-field issues.
Mokoena, credited with discovering both Mbule and Teboho Mokoena at the renowned Harmony Sports Academy in the Free State, believes the midfielder cannot afford another setback.
“With Sipho, it’s simple, I just told him he has a last chance at Pirates. I don’t want to know his story about (what happened at) Sundowns and Sekhukhune,” the youth coach told Phakaaathi.
“I told Sipho that he knows the truth about SuperSport United, Sundowns and Sekhukhune. I don’t want to know the stories but I told him ‘this is the last chance you’re getting at Pirates’.”
Despite his undeniable talent, Mbule’s career has long been overshadowed by disciplinary concerns at every club he has represented. Even so, several Betway Premiership sides, including Kaizer Chiefs, were interested in securing his services before he committed his future to Pirates.
Mokoena also reflected on the midfielder’s rapid rise from an academy prospect before building a name for himself at SuperSport United, and later earning a big-money move to Sundowns in 2022.
“He moved from the academy to SuperSport United who were a big team, from there, even after the same pattern and complaints, he moved to Sundowns,” Mokoena recalled.
“He didn’t go down but he went up. I said to him ‘maybe that’s why when you arrived at SuperSport, you didn’t see anything wrong because you joined Sundowns, and you thought you were still big and you went to Sekhukhune and you did the same thing.’
“He’s now at Pirates and he went up again because Chiefs were also looking for him. I said ‘this is your last chance and I don’t see you flopping at Pirates and then going to Chiefs or one of the big teams because you’ll go down’. So, I told him it’s up to you. I think he has listened to me but let’s see.”
ALSO READ: Lupopo reveal CAF decision on Orlando Pirates complaint
Mbule delivered another standout performance last Friday as Bafana swept aside Zambia 3–1 in an international friendly. The mercurial midfielder provided two assists as Broos’ side fine-tuned their preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco next month.