Bafana Bafana legend has issued a stark warning to Orlando Pirates midfielder, saying the playmaker risks becoming a permanent ‘what if’ in South African football. Despite his natural talent, Mbule has struggled for consistency and has recently been left out of Hugo Broos’ national team plans.

Sipho Mbule is at a pivotal point in his career, with his one-year contract set to come to an end. Playing for two of the Premier Soccer League’s top clubs is a rare opportunity, and beyond talent, there’s more a player needs to offer.

Since the Africa Cup of Nations, the 28-year-old has struggled for regular minutes at Orlando Pirates and was recently left out of Bafana Bafana’s friendlies against Panama.

A dip in form and rumoured off-field distractions have seen him slip down the pecking order at Mayfair and within the national setup, prompting Mzansi legend Teko Modise to speak out.

“I know I might sound like a hater, but for me personally, it feels like he’s been ‘bubbling under’ for so long,” said Modise on the iDiski Dine Podcast.

“When Sipho was still at SuperSport, there were rumours of him going to Chiefs, rumours of going everywhere. I remember doing a Sundowns-SuperSport game; as I left, I bumped into Stan Matthews, and he said to me, ‘I need to talk to you.’”

“He took me aside and said, ‘After you at SuperSport, the very same talent you had, the very same way I felt about you, is this boy Sipho. Can you please talk to him? I think he has great potential, just like you had, but I think he is just stuck in his ways,” he revealed.

Failed mentorship and wasted potential

According to Modise, over the years, he has been approached to help guide Mbule. From SuperSport’s Stan Matthews to Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe, there has been a collective effort to see the midfielder succeed, yet the message does not seem to have hit home.

Modise continued: “I have been asked to talk to Sipho for such a long time. Stan Matthews did; when Sipho signed for Sundowns, our chairman [Tlhopie Motsepe] did. Maybe because we don’t have similar stories, but from a talent point of view, they saw a connection. Maybe there are people who told Sipho that I have an issue with him.”