Nelson Dladla Warns Orlando Pirates Over Sipho Mbule Release
Nelson Dladla says orlando pirates overreacted by letting Sipho Mbule go, and he believes the midfielder will come back to haunt them. He described Mbule as “fire” and said a talent like that should have been helped, not released.
Mbule and Orlando Pirates
“He’s gonna be a thorn in their flesh. Look at [Ndabayithethwa] Ndlondlo when he’s up against Pirates; he wants to mess them up,” Dladla said. He used that example to argue that a player who leaves can still carry extra edge against his old club.
Dladla did not frame the issue as a football-only problem. He said clubs have the tools to keep players in “good mental and physical health,” and that a troublesome player should be sent for counselling, where psychologists can help get to the root of the problem.
Dladla's support case
“Psychologists are there for such purposes... you do your best to get to the bottom of the problem, offer solutions and assistance, failing which then you can release them,” he said. His line was clear: release should come after support, not before it.
“Letting him go won’t resolve any problem that he has as a human being... if it is true that he is wayward, then help him because he’s an asset to the club,” Dladla said of Mbule. He added that when a club values a player’s talent, it should “do whatever it takes to help them overcome what affects their games on the pitch.”
Why Mbule draws attention
Dladla also said, “I rate Sipho highly... he’s fire... I hope he soldiers on and continues playing football because that’s a God-given talent he has.” Mbule’s vision, creativity and control of the midfield earned him the nickname Master Chef, and Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos picked him for the final four 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The warning lands with more force because Orlando Pirates already let Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo leave when his contract expired, and he returned to Marumo Gallants as a free agent. Dladla, who played 12 years, made 408 appearances and scored 125 goals for Kaizer Chiefs, is arguing that Pirates may be handing a gifted player to the kind of motivation that keeps old scores alive.
