- Lepasa started the season on fire
- But he is now struggling for form
- Injury has worsened his situation
WHAT HAPPENED? The 26-year-old was not part of the group that flew to Abidjan for Tuesday's international friendly match against Ivory Coast.
This is after the Buccaneers forward came on as a substitute during last Friday's 0-0 draw with Eswatini at FNB Stadium.
Mystery shrouded his absence from the travelling party to West Africa but it has now been confirmed that he has been hit by fitness issues.
WHAT WAS SAID: “Lepasa is struggling with a left knee overuse injury, which could have been exacerbated again by the recent games and also training,” Bafana doctor Thabo Maleka told Safa media.
“And on the eve of travelling, the injury became worse and therefore necessitated that he does get some investigation to actually find the degree or severity of injury in order to inform treatment.
“He is already in the care of the medical team, they have already started the necessary treatment that is needed for that particular injury that he’s having and that is why he’s not with us today.”
AND WHAT MORE? Bafana captain Ronwen Williams was injured in the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates and that saw him miss Friday’s match against Eswatini.
The Sundowns goalkeeper could, however, feature against Ivory Coast as Maleka says he is on a recovery path.
"So far we have a good bill of health. Even our captain is recovering very well, so that gives the coach depth in terms of who to play and how, which is a good thing in terms of fitness levels," Maleka added.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lepasa's injury could mark what could be the beginning of a difficult season for him.
After starting the term on fire, the Pirates forward has dropped in form and has been firing blanks in recent games.
That leaves him with the task of focusing on recovering from injury and then try to rediscover his scoring form when he is back.
WHAT NEXT? The next few weeks would be crucial for Lepasa in his bid to get back to full fitness.
His injury is likely to see him miss Friday's Carling Knockout clash with Cape Town Spurs at Orlando Stadium.
But in his absence, other Pirates strikers like Kermit Erasmus, Evidence Makgopa and Bienvenu Eva Nga have an opportunity to take responsibility for leading the Buccaneers attack.