Edward Motale is concerned about the departure of Kermit Erasmus and other veteran players from Orlando Pirates – “They should have kept some of those players.”
The Soweto giants have released six players ahead of the new season, and the club’s legend has aired his worries about the move.
Former Orlando Pirates captain Edward Motale has expressed his unhappiness with the team’s decision to dismiss several of its senior players.
The Sea Robbers parted ways with senior players such as Kermit Erasmus, Thabang Monare, and Fortune Makaringe last week.
As a result, Motale was astonished and questioned the Nedbank Cup victors’ judgement.
“You know, it’s difficult to comment or explain what happened with the players the team released. “We’re not sure why they did this,” Motale told Soccer Laduma.
“They should have maintained some of those players, but perhaps they evaluated their performance and opted to let them go. But we’re not sure why they did it. You can’t release the players you’ll need when competing in so many events.
“We will play in all three tournaments at home starting with the MTN8, the Carling Knockout, the League, and the Nedbank Cup then the CAF Champions League,” he stated.
“To succeed in all of these events, we required a well-balanced roster with experienced players such as Erasmus and Thabang (Monare).
“I really don’t know why they released players who we still needed at least for the season looking at the competitions we will be involved in.”
“To be honest, I was surprised. We never do this, and the team has not explained why they let them leave. “For the time being, all we can say is that we wish them the best of luck in their new endeavours,” added the Bucs veteran.
“They are good players, and wherever they go, they will excel for their new teams. Perhaps it was time for them to take on new challenges in their football lives.
“Best wishes to all of them. However, as a team, we still required their skills, particularly guys like Kermit Erasmus and Thabang Monare. Their experience would have been invaluable when playing in Africa.”