Maela Officially Departs Pirates

Orlando Pirates have confirmed that their captain, Innocent Maela, will leave the club at the end of the season. There are ongoing discussions that he might be offered a position within the club.

Maela, who was named Pirates captain after Happy Jele’s departure ahead of the 2022/23 season, bid farewell to the club’s fans at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday during their Betway Premiership draw with Magesi.

The 32-year-old, who won the Motsepe Foundation Championship with Thanda Royal Zulu in the 2016/17 season while on loan from Pirates, was substituted in the 67th minute.

This season has seen him plagued by injury issues, and Wednesday’s match was his first start since September of last year. It was Maela’s 12th appearance for the side in all competitions this season, with the left-back position largely occupied by Deon Hotto and Paseka Mako.

He departs the club having featured in 208 matches across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists. During his time at Pirates, he won four MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cups, and was a league runner-up five times. He was also part of the Pirates team that narrowly missed out on the CAF Confederation Cup in the 2021/22 season, losing to RSB Berkane on penalties.

Internationally, Maela was capped 15 times with Bafana Bafana. He was part of Stuart Baxter’s Bafana Bafana side that was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations by Nigeria.

All of these achievements came after Maela returned to Pirates in the 2017/18 season from Thanda Royal Zulu, having originally come through the club’s academy.