Orlando Pirates have confirmed that striker Tshegofatso Mabasa will join Stellenbosch FC on loan.
The 29-year-old has struggled for gametime under new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, which has limited him to just nine matches across all competitions.
Despite scoring in the MTN8 final, the ex-Bloemfontein Celtic star still did not make the starting eleven, with the Moroccan coach preferring to go with Evidence Makgopa and Yanela Mbuthuma as his backups.
After much speculation, Pirates announced that Mabasa would be joining Stellies on a six-month loan spell.
“Orlando Pirates can confirm the move of striker Tshegofatso Mabasa to Stellenbosch FC. The 29-year-old moves to Stellies on a loan for the remainder of the season,” the club said.
Will Mabasa return to Orlando Pirates?
This is not the first time the striker was loaned out. Under Jose Riveiro, Mabasa was loaned out to Sekhukhune United, and after that, he joined Swallows for six months before he was recalled in January 2024.
His loan spell at Swallows saw him score six goals in the first half of the season forcing Riviero to recall him to the team. He finished the season as the PSL’s top scorer and led Pirates’ attack the following season.
If Mabasa can score atleast five or six goals for Stellies during his loan spell, he could very well return to Pirates in June. He is just a few goals shy of breaking Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi’s all-time goalscoring record.
Stellenbosch don’t have many strikers and Mabasa will have atleast 17 matches to prove his worth.