It has been explained in detail by former Orlando Pirates captain Edelbert Dinha why Innocent Maela continues to wear the armband despite always being on the bench.
Pirates is an unusual club to have a captain who is not good enough to start matches.
Those who wore the armband at the Mighty Buccaneers became legends of the Soweto giants because of their contributions on the pitch.
EMalahleni-born Malesela made only 15 league appearances last season, along with Nick Seshweni, Lucky Lekgwathi, and Happy Jele.
Dinha captained every team he played for in his successful football career.
The captaincy does not make you the highest-paid player at the club or the best player, Dinha tells KickOff.
Captains must possess certain qualities, like motivating and encouraging players, always smiling, and always being there for them.
Whether he's on the bench or in the starting lineup, he's always there for the players. He's got a positive attitude."
When the players see that from their captain, they want to play, fight, and win.
It doesn't matter if he plays or not; the quality he possesses is good enough for the team to succeed," he said.
In Maela's case, his teammates don't have those questions. The coaches select different captains from different clubs.
Only the coach can answer that question honestly. He might not be doing well or carrying a niggling injury, we can only guess.
It depends on the club if they should look for another captain who will always be on the pitch, but I'm sure he's got deputies who always start matches.
The club can choose to have a new captain or to continue with Innocent Maela.
