Tshegofatso Mabasa has reflected on falling short of Orlando Pirates’ all-time goalscoring record, finishing his spell at the club eight goals shy of Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi’s long-standing mark of 58, but says he holds no bitterness over missing out.
Vilakazi’s record has stood for years as one of the most enduring benchmarks at the Soweto giants, and while Mabasa mounted a serious challenge to it during his time at the club, his move to Fes brought that chapter to a close before he could get there.
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“I guess it wasn’t meant to be”
Speaking to iDiski Times, Mabasa took a philosophical view of the milestone that got away.
“As close as I was, at the end of the day, I can plan but God decides, I guess it wasn’t meant to be, he has always had bigger and better plans for me – and I guess I am walking into that period of my life,” he said.
Far from dwelling on what could have been, Mabasa was quick to express gratitude for his time in Pirates colours and what he was able to achieve there.
“What happened at Pirates I’m grateful for the opportunity obviously and what I managed to achieve at the club, I will always wish them well and I will always be watching and supporting the guys.”
Bonds built over time
Having spent a significant stretch of his career at the club, Mabasa said the relationships he built along the way made the departure anything but straightforward.
“Spending so long there, it wasn’t easy at all and you tend to grow bonds in environments when you have been there for a long time, and that’s what happened with me – so I’m truly grateful to every part they played in my career and I believe in this next step step. Mas Fes it is, I have a job to do here and it’s what I will focus on. I was not hurt by it [not breaking the record].”
With the record now left for someone else to chase, Mabasa’s attention has fully shifted to his new challenge in Morocco, where he’ll look to write the next chapter of his career at Fes.