Missed chances? Former Orlando Pirates star reveals several PSL clubs turned down a chance to sign Bucs' hotshot Kamogelo Sebelebele - 'They turned a blind eye'

Former Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Chikoya has revealed that several Premier Soccer League sides turned down chances of signing Kamogelo Sebelebele.

Chikoya, a former Pirates left-back, scouted Sebelebele and developed him at Shumba Football Academy before he came to the limelight.

Before Pirates signed him, he was given a chance by TS Galaxy, where he did well and attracted suitors.

"When I talk about Mike (Sebelebele's other name), I'm referring to a player I groomed for five years at the Shumba Football Academy, where he played in the GDL U-17, U-19, and SAB teams before moving to Tembisa, where TS Galaxy signed him for their under-19 team," Chikoya told KickOff.com.

"What he is doing now, he was consistently doing before – he scored three to four goals per match. His first hat-trick was against SuperSport United, where he scored four goals in the U-17 division," he added.

"We keep these achievements to ourselves because, at the end of the day, we are not recognised for our efforts. We even approached some PSL teams – without naming names – to consider Mike, but they turned a blind eye."

Chikoya also promised the Pirates' fans that Sebelebele will give more, and he is just getting started.

"We know what Mike Sebelebele is capable of. One-on-one, he is unstoppable. He can simply push the ball past you and be gone. No unnecessary dribbling. Out of five chances, Mike will score four,” he added.

“There will be more goals. I used to play him anywhere in the attacking position. The problem is that when we develop these boys and invite coaches to take a look, people often ignore us."

Sebelebele has already endeared himself to the Bucs' fan base. He scored a crucial goal against Mamelodi Sundowns in the first-leg encounter of the MTN8 semi-final.

To make himself an even more important figure in the playing unit, he scored against Stellenbosch as Pirates went on to win their first league game this season.

His stardom, which has come when the season is just getting started, has been noticed by Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos, who named him in the provisional squad for World Cup qualifiers.

The challenge now is to maintain the top form, as Pirates will need him even more as the season progresses.

An impressive outing with the Soweto giants will also prove wrong the clubs that doubted him before and turned a blind eye, at least according to Chikoya.

On Saturday, Pirates will face Sundowns for the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final action.