While Dlamini has battled for minutes since Jose Riveiro’s exit from Orlando Pirates last season, Dlamini offered a reminder of his quality when he laid in a superb assist for Oswin Appollis during the CAF Champions League qualifier against Saint-Eloi Lupopo at the Orlando Stadium.
The 29-year-old has only featured in seven matches in the 2025/26 Betway Premiership. In the number 10 role, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has mainly relied on Sipho Mbule and Patrick Maswanganyi. Relebohile Mofokeng, primarily a left-winger, and Cemran Dansin, a central midfielder, have also been used in Dlamini’s position.
KABELO DLAMINI SHARES HIS ‘NUMBER TWO’ SPORT
“I follow tennis,” Dlamini told SuperSport TV’s YouTube channel. “I love the likes of Novak [Djokovic], and [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz,” the Daveyton-born player said.
“They truly inspire me. There are similarities with football. I like to observe how they handle situations where they are trailing on the scoreboard.
“Football also demands a strong mentality and high focus. So yeah, I was going to play tennis [if he wasn’t a professional footballer,” added the man who dons the number 18 jersey at Orlando Pirates.
During Jose Riveiro’s tenure as Orlando Pirates coach, Dlamini was a key player, featuring in 44 matches last season and contributing four goals along with eight assists.
Dlamini’s journey with the Soweto club began in 2017 when he progressed from Bloemfontein Celtic’s DStv Diski Challenge squad. He officially joined the Buccaneers in 2019 and has since made a total of 194 appearances, scoring 21 goals and providing 22 assists. His most recent involvement with the national team was at the 2025 Cosafa Cup in June.
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