Sipho Mbule has made a flying start to life in Iraq after leaving Orlando Pirates, with his agent Mike Makaab revealing the midfielder himself pushed for a move abroad for a fresh challenge and environment.
Mbule was named Man of the Match on his Zakho SC debut before producing a goal and assist in Tuesday evening’s 2-2 draw against Diyala, making an immediate impact at his new club.
But the move was about much more than simply finding a new team, according to Makaab, who revealed that Mbule specifically asked for a move outside the country.
“Sipho and I had a discussion and the amazing thing is the request came from him, he said ‘Mike, I need to go to a new adventure, outside the borders of South Africa, wherever it may be’,” Makaab of ProSport International told iDiski Times.
“There was quite a lot of interest in him in North Africa, but there wasn’t anything immediately concrete and for me it was absolutely vital and for him – that he started in pre-season.”
Makaab says the move has already had a positive effect on the midfielder, who he believes is in outstanding physical condition and has settled quickly into his new surroundings.
“If I look at the shape he’s in, I’m not sure I’ve seen him in better shape, he’s incredibly happy – I spoke to him a few days ago, he’s settled in so beautifully in his new environment,” he said.
“The atmosphere at the club, he said has been electric, they have crazy support, they were voted the most passionate supporters [in 2025], so there’s an incredible electricity in their home stadium, it’s always packed.
“And they have ambitions, they want to challenge for the title – so it just so happened that all the stars aligned pretty quickly and that is the reason [he went to] Iraq, it could have been Qatar, Iran, Algeria – but in this particular instance, everything aligned.”
‘They said Mbule would be a marquee signing’
Zakho also made it clear that Mbule would be a major part of their plans, with the club’s heiracrhy pushing to secure his signature.
“The coach wanted him, the President wanted him, the agent I was dealing with, made it clear Mbule would be one of their marquee signings, so that’s how it happened,” Makaab explained.
There were ultimately two concrete offers for Mbule, with Dubai and Iraq emerging as the final options.
However, when Makaab suggested waiting a few more days before making the decision, the midfielder was already convinced that Zakho was the right destination.
“There were two final offers on the double, one from Dubai and one from Iraq,” he confirmed.
“When I said to Sipho, ‘do we wait a few more days?’ He said ‘no, let’s conclude the deal in Iraq’ and a lot of that influence came from the player himself, not me.”
With a Man of the Match award followed by a goal and assist in his first two appearances, Mbule’s decision to seek a new environment has already delivered an encouraging early return.
Story by Lorenz Kohler (@Lorenz_KO).
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.