Gavin Hunt Confirms Interest in Lepasa and Maboe

Rethabile Nyelele6 August , 2025

Durban City head coach Gavin Hunt has openly admitted to pursuing former Orlando Pirates striker Zakhele Lepasa and ex-Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Lebohang Maboe. However, it appears both players have other plans in mind.

Lepasa, who recently parted ways with the Buccaneers, is currently part of South Africa’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) squad. As a free agent, the striker is free to sign with any club upon returning from the tournament. The tournament kicked off last weekend.

Maboe was released by Sundowns after finishing the 2024/25 season on loan at SuperSport United. While both players were on Hunt’s radar, the veteran coach confessed that conversations with the duo haven’t yielded any positive results.

“I Reached Out, But Their Heads Seem Elsewhere” – Hunt

“I phoned both,” Hunt revealed. “I think Lepasa’s head is somewhere else. I think he wants to go somewhere else. And Maboe had a shoulder injury. He said he would get back to me but hasn’t. Maybe they don’t want to play for Durban City I don’t know.”

Hunt’s comments suggest that while Durban City is casting a wide net to bolster their squad, they’re struggling to land some of their top targets.

Experienced Recruits Brought In

Despite the lack of progress with Lepasa and Maboe, Durban City has managed to secure several experienced additions ahead of the new campaign. The club, which recently earned promotion to the top flight, has brought in players like Darren Keet, Brooklyn Poggenpoel, Trevor Mokwena, and Haashim Domingo.

“With Darren, we have a goalkeeper that left last season,” Hunt explained. “The nine and 10 left, so Haashim and Trevor Mokwena come in. We had to replace there. We’ve got Poggenpoel as well. Players were not there, so we had to bring in players. Most of them are free and they are good players. They will do a job for us.”

Opening Clash Against TS Galaxy

Durban City will begin their Betway Premiership campaign with a tough away fixture against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium this Sunday. While the team looks to hit the ground running, it remains to be seen whether Hunt can still convince Lepasa or Maboe to join his project in the coming weeks.