Orlando Pirates striker makes admission

Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa says he understands why Abdeslam Ouaddou hasn’t used him much this season.

The experienced striker has played three league matches this season and has yet to find the back of the net. In the first three matches, he did not feature with the Moroccan coach preferring Boitumelo Radiopane and Evidence Makgopa upfront.

“Personally, what was going through my mind is just to keep on working hard and keep on improving,” Mabasa said.

Mabasa ready to fire for Orlando Pirates

“Each and every day that I step onto the field, I want to improve, especially in training. With the meetings that I had with the coach, I understood that it wasn’t my time yet.

“Maybe the guys that are playing ahead of me, Radiopane, for example, deserved this chance with the way that he expressed himself in training, you know, and all the way from the pre-season.

“Same with Evidence, whoever is there [playing] deserves to be there. It was them who were chosen, and we knew that they were capable of doing the job,” the Bucs star added.

Orlando Pirates are in action this weekend against Stellenbosch in the MTN8 final at the Mbombela Stadium. Mabasa will likely have a role to play on Saturday, having scored in last year’s final against the same opposition.