A former Orlando Pirates defender has made a plea to the Soweto giants about one of the up-and-coming centre-backs who has struggled to get a chance in the first team.
After initially appearing to be in the plans at the Buccaneers for the 2021/22 season, having come on as a second half substitute in the team’s opening league match of the campaign against Stellenbosch FC, and after being in the matchday squads in two other fixtures, Sandile Mthethwa was surprisingly loaned out to Chippa United for a third successive season.
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As reported in edition 1249 of Soccer Laduma, the Chilli Boys are expected to approach Pirates for the services of Mthethwa, with a view of making his deal permanent after doing well for the team in recent seasons.
“Sandile Mthethwa is being seen as an important member of the Chippa United squad and the club is keen to have him as one of their own on a permanent basis. The club is planning to approach Pirates to make a formal bid, although it is not yet known if the club will be open to selling. There might be a possibility of a swap deal although it is still early to say,” said a source.
However, former Pirates defender Abednego Netshiozwi believes that it would be a mistake for the club to part ways with the Richards Bay-born player.
“That boy shouldn’t have left in the first place, and he should have been playing alongside one of the team’s experienced centre-backs this season to gain more experience. Pirates’ centre-backs have been making mistakes and had the boy been there, it would be good for the technical team to introduce him so that he could add a different element to their game,” said Netshiozwi.
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“Personally, I would have loved to see the boy playing alongside Happy Jele as he is the club’s veteran and someone who knows everything about the team’s culture and philosophy. Happy Jele understands the club better than anyone in that team and he would have been a perfect mentor for that boy to learn. My worry is that the supporters will return to the stadiums one day and with so many mistakes that the defenders are making, there will be a time that the culprits won’t get away with it, as the supporters will boo them, and it will be difficult for them to rise again and and focus. Pirates should keep that boy,” he added.
View Orlando Pirates’ 37-man squad for the 2021/22 season:
