Selaelo Rasebotja has arrived at Orlando Pirates with big expectations for the future, writes Mazola Molefe.
Selaelo Rasebotja’s move to Orlando Pirates was very low key – not much of a song and dance made about the transfer like previous SuperSport United youngsters who joined their traditional rivals in the Premier Soccer League.
But that’s not to say the 23-year-old nicknamed ‘Iniesta’ is nothing special.
The central midfielder is a product of the famous School of Excellence, although nowadays that conveyor belt of talent is a shadow of its former self with Transnet pulling the plug on the funding that’s helped them thrive.
Rasebotja is one of the legacy projects having joined the SuperSport academy soon after turning 19 and looking to quickly graduate to the senior team.
With PSL clubs enjoying the benefits of the DStv Diski Challenge, where budding and emerging young prospects got a chance to play regularly in front of big crowds, it was inevitable that Rasebotja would impress.
‘Iniesta’ then made his debut during the 2021/22 season under coach Kaitano Tembo and finished that campaign with 19 appearances to his name in both the league as well as the Nedbank Cup.
But injuries very nearly cut short what was quickly touted to be a promising career in the topflight the junior national team selectors were also confident he would play a part in helping qualify for major competitions.
Rasebotja was only able to play four times the year after his breakthrough campaign as coach Gavin Hunt made his return to the club.
There were fears he would not hit the same heights as before, but he bounced back strong to give SuperSport depth when they went into the African Confederation Cup last season and needing to balance their continental schedule with the domestic league.
When asked why he’d given Rasebotja and several other academy graduates a chance in the first team soon after coming back for a second stint with the Tshwane outfit, Hunt spoke glowingly of the potential he had seen.
“I believe in them and that’s why I threw them in. They just need to have the right attitude and all those things that go with it. We are going to benefit in the long run and suffer in the short term,” Hunt explained then.
“These players are good, it’s like Teboho Mokoena, Sipho Mbule and Ronwen Williams, they all started here and look where they are today. These boys are the new group that’s coming through and we need to be patient with them.”
Pirates moved swiftly to snap up Rasebotja on a free transfer, with SuperSport losing out on one of their own despite several years of development.
The midfielder now faces a different challenge at a club with more demands under José Riveiro, the Spanish coach now in the final year of his contract and quietly confident his side can take Mamelodi Sundowns on in the Betway Premiership race.
At his age, Rasebotja is no doubt the future for Pirates in the holding midfield position with his counterparts Miguel Timm and Makhehlene Makhaula ageing at 32 and 34 respectively but the subdued nature in which he was introduced could suggest it might take some time before he establishes himself as the preferred choice.
