Happy Jele spent 16 years at Orlando Pirates, earning himself cult-hero status amongst the club’s fans. Kopano Thuntsane spent just two years less at the side, and sadly the same cannot be said of the goalkeeper. Rather, he can be described as an ‘almost man’. After working his way through the club’s ranks, he was eventually promoted to the first team and even came within touching distance of making his first appearance. However, that never came. Instead, three seasons after his promotion, he was let go without realising his dream of donning the famous Black and White jersey in the elite division. Luckily for Thuntsane, though, he has landed safely in the Birds’ nest at Moroka Swallows after a period of being without a club. This is where he will work with a man, in Thela Ngobeni, whose situation is very similar to that of his. Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver caught up with the 24-year-old to discuss his new home as well as the one he left after 14 years.
Delmain Faver: Kopano, it’s fantastic to hear that you are back on the football field and to doing what you do best. One can’t imagine how you must be feeling after a long time without a club…
Kopano Thuntsane: I’m very happy and, for me, I’m also happy because of, like, how the guys welcomed me in the team. They welcomed me well, yeah.
