Orlando Pirates forward Andre de Jong says his motive for joining the club was to win trophies and further his chances of making the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
The New Zealand international was close to joining the club on transfer deadline day at the start of the 2025/26 season but eventually landed the switch in January from Stellenbosch – where he emerged as one of the leading performers in the league.
The utility-forward, who has featured prominently as a second striker and a wide forward during his time in South Africa has been slowly integrated into the squad by head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, coming off the bench twice in the league and netting his first goal in the 4-1 win over TTM in the Nedbank Cup.
“So far it’s been very enjoyable, it’s always tough to move mid-season, but the players have been very hospitable for me, as well as the technical team, I think I’m finding my feet nicely, looking forward to a big couple weeks ahead, but so far I’ve enjoyed Johannesburg and the team,” de Jong said about his adaptation period.
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“When Pirates first showed interest, it was a very exciting move for me, I think it really pushes for my aspirations to make the New Zealand World Cup team, it’s one of my big goals and then Pirates have also collected a lot of trophies in the past. So, joining an establishment can only be good for my career and hopefully I can contribute to the team winning more trophies.”
When asked about his realistic it could be to make the final squad; “I’ve been called up for the last two windows, hopefully I get the call-up in March.
“There’s a couple of games back in New Zealand which will be amazing to be involved in and then obviously push for that final call in May. So it’s really exciting for New Zealand football, similarly to South Africa, being back in the World Cup for the first time since 2010, so big opportunity to be involved in that.”
De Jong netted 19 goals with 11 assists in 114 games for Stellies in his three years with the Cape Winelands-based outfit.
(Image Credit: Lebogang Tsotetsi
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