Orlando Pirates will step into 2026 with a fresh attacking option in Andre de Jong from Stellenbosch FC.
According to his former teammate and buddy, Michael Morton, the 27-year-old New Zealander will offer a unique quality to the Sea Robbers.
ANDRE DE JONG LEAVING STELLENBOSCH FC
As reported on Thursday, the attacking midfielder will join Orlando Pirates from Stellenbosch FC on 1 January, finally sealing a move the club narrowly missed in September.
Ex-Buccaneers midfielder, Michael Morton, who shared both a changing room and a lockdown home with de Jong at AmaZulu, feels Orlando is getting a footballer unlike any of their current attackers.
“He is very smart, fitter than people give him credit for, and presses well,” Morton explained to Kick Off. “I might be biased, but he definitely adds more to that Pirates attacking line, especially heading into the final stretch where more goals are needed.”
MORE ABOUT HIM
As a frontline attacker, this season he’s added three goals and an assist in 14. His bigger value lies in his movement and decision-making. Last season, he registered eight goals and five assists across 47 outings, often acting as the glue for his attacking teammates.
Pirates want his movement between lines to drag defenders out of positions. Among ball magicians at the Buccaneers, de Jong is expected to make the team even more dangerous with selflessness and a constant willingness to work.
Across a career that includes spells in New Zealand and Australia, Eastern Suburbs AFC, Canterbury United, Wanderers SC and Hakoah Sydney City East, he has counted 69 goals and 37 assists in 260 games.