Orlando Pirates legend Thulasizwe Mbuyane has shared an interesting revelation, saying that former Bafana Bafana winger Siphiwe Tshabalala once tried to convince him to join Kaizer Chiefs.
Mbuyane, who made his mark at Free State Stars before moving to Orlando Pirates, recalled how his initial move seemed destined for Amakhosi. Speaking on The Trap and Pass podcast, he explained, “When I was at Free State, I was actually supposed to go to Kaizer Chiefs. Things got mixed up, and I don’t know how, but I ended up at Pirates. According to me, I was supposed to be at Chiefs.”
After breaking out at Free State Stars in 2007, Mbuyane made a big move to Orlando Pirates in 2008 under coach Ruud Krol.
A New Beginning at Pirates
“When I signed for Pirates, I was earning R34,000,” Mbuyane recalled. “There was still the Telkom Charity Cup going on. People said that if we won it, we wouldn’t win the league because of some superstition. After the Telkom Cup, it was the SA Super 8, and my first game for Pirates was during the Super 8 against SuperSport United.”
First Game Nerves and a Missed Opportunity
Mbuyane admitted to being nervous for his first match at Pirates, though he eventually settled in: “I had a few pre-season games under my belt, so after a few minutes, I was fine.”
However, his debut wasn’t as memorable as he’d hoped. “I missed a sitter, and right after that, Teferra Fikru scored with a bicycle kick, and SuperSport won 2-1. I was stressed after the match because we lost,” he said.
Despite the rocky start, Mbuyane went on to have a successful career at Pirates. During his six years at the club, he faced off against Tshabalala and Kaizer Chiefs many times, and the two eventually became legends of their respective teams.
