Orlando Pirates legend Joseph Makhanya believes his former teammate Happy Jele can reach 500 competitive appearances for the Soweto giants.

This comes after Jele became the first player in Pirates history to make 400 appearances for the club as they claimed a 1-0 win over Swallows FC in a PSL match on Saturday.

It took the experienced defender 16 years to break the record for the most appearances (375) for Pirates which was held by legendary Nigerian keeper William Okpara and he has since added to that tally for the club.

Having played alongside Jele at Pirates between 2006 and 2011, Makhanya stated that discipline and dedication have been key to the defender’s longevity at the Houghton-based giants.

“The first time I met him, he was a very humble player and he never changed even today,” Makhanya told Sowetan.

“Very disciplined, he never wants to show off. I’m talking about on and off the field, he is dedicated. I got to see him while he was coming and saw him grow at Pirates.”

Makhanya, who is the son of Pirates legend Ernest ‘Botsotso’ Makhanya, lauded 34-year-old Jele as a true gentleman and a professional player. 

“I played with him for four or five seasons and I know what type of human being he is. I’m still close to him even now and he is a true gentleman and a professional player,” he added.

“He is doing very well. That’s what I like about him. He works very hard at training and I don’t see anything stopping him from making more than 500 appearances in the future.”

Nicknamed ‘Magents’, Jele is also among the most decorated Pirates players in the PSL era having won eight major trophies with the team since he joined the club in 2006.

The lanky player was a key member of Bucs’ double treble-winning side which clinched two PSL titles, two MTN8 trophies, the Nedbank Cup and Telkom Knockout Cup.

Magents then helped the Buccaneers lift the 2014 Nedbank Cup, before leading the team to the 2020 MTN8 title triumph.

He signed a new one-year deal with Pirates last month with the club having an option to extend to 2023.