Lebone Seema Shines at Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana
Lebone Seema’s rise at Orlando Pirates has moved from promising subplot to headline act – and now it carries a Bafana Bafana badge.
The young defender’s form has earned him a place in Pitso Mosimane’s final squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers, a call-up that feels less like a surprise and more like the natural next step in a rapidly accelerating career.
From Orlando Stadium to the international stage
On Thursday night at Orlando Stadium, Seema underlined exactly why his name is on Mosimane’s list. Pirates beat Durban City 2-0, and the defender helped himself to a goal, capping another assured performance at the back.
Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou did not hide his satisfaction after the game.
"First of all, I really congratulate him and all the other members of the team who have been called to the national team," he said, before turning his appreciation towards Mosimane. "I thank as well Pitso [Mosimane] to call him. It means that he was following his work since last season."
Then came the line that summed up how Pirates view their defender.
"He's the future,’’ Ouaddou said.
Hard lessons, rapid growth
For Ouaddou, this Bafana call-up is no bolt from the blue. He has seen the daily grind behind it. He has also driven it.
"But I'm not surprised he's somebody that has the good mentality, professional, coachable," the Moroccan coach explained.
That word – coachable – has become central to Seema’s story. Ouaddou admitted he has pushed the youngster to uncomfortable places in training and over the course of last season.
"He starts to know me now. Sometimes I can be hard with him," he said. "Last season, I was really, really hard with him. But for his good, for his performance, we spoke a lot, we worked a lot about the quality of his passes, the alternation of short passes, long passes, the duels."
Those details have sharpened Seema’s game: cleaner distribution, better decisions under pressure, more authority in one-on-one battles. Now those same qualities will be tested in a different jersey.
Built for Pitso’s demands
Ouaddou is convinced Seema’s ability to absorb tactical information will translate smoothly into the national setup under Mosimane.
"It's very important for me because to improve, you need to be coachable and you need to be able to understand and to listen," he said, stressing again the defender’s willingness to learn.
"But of course, like you said, he has a lot of matches of progression," he added, underlining that this is only the beginning of the journey.
Still, there was no hiding the pride inside Mayfair.
"I'm really, really happy. Our technical staff and the club are very happy about this call. I hope he's going to continue and to bring us this experience as well from the national team.”
A new pillar for Bafana?
South Africa now gears up for crucial AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, and Seema arrives as part of a new wave under Mosimane. At Pirates, he is already viewed as a long-term answer in defence, thanks to his versatility and comfort on the ball. Bafana Bafana may soon see him the same way.
With Ouaddou promising to keep the standards high back at Pirates, there is little danger of the defender easing off after his breakthrough.
The international window offers him something different: a chance to measure himself against the elite of South African football, to see whether club form can hold under the brighter lights of national expectation.
"He's the future of South Africa. We have such talent in that position in South Africa. I hope this call will give him confidence to continue to work, to grow. Again, thanks to Pitso to see his qualities," Ouaddou concluded.
Now it is over to Seema – and to the AFCON qualifiers – to show just how quickly that future might arrive.
