Tshegofatso Mabasa has opened up on his exit from Orlando Pirates saying he is proud of his time there while also revealing how challenging it was not getting game time last season.
Mabasa, 29, parted ways with the Buccaneers this month after his contract wasn’t renewed. In his seven-year stay at the club, the ‘Sniper’ made 141 appearances and scored 50 goals.
The striker didn’t enjoy game time in his last campaign that the Ghost went on to complete a treble which included the Betway Premiership title and spent the second round on loan at Stellenbosch.
Mabasa told Cheeseboy Mokoena on SoccerBeat about the months leading to the loan deal and how there wasn’t communication about why he wasn’t playing and what made it easy for him to take the loan.
“Look, it was a very confusing and difficult situation for me around that time, like challenging mentally as well, you know,” said Mabasa.
“But like I say, I had to keep myself ready because any day I could be given the opportunity to go and play. So, nothing was really communicated to me in terms of what the next step is, you know.
“I just waited and I knew that I had a job at that time to do, which was to go and play and help the team to win games, and honestly, during that period and during that time, that’s all that I was focused on.
“And throughout this entire season, I’ve just been focused on that. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t hear anything else where I was called in, can we do this or this is the plan or this is the way forward. It didn’t happen, but yeah.
“Like I say, it was a difficult and challenging period for me. At the end of the day, as footballers, all we want to do is be out on that pitch, you know, and play. That’s what we want at the end of the day, and I saw that towards that January period, especially around, November, December. I wasn’t playing anymore, you know. And you would ask anyone, why is this happening? No one knew, no one could explain.
“So, it was really just a difficult period for me and when Stellenbosch came and asked for a loan, I thought, you know, why not. I mean, it’s not like I’m playing or I’m given the opportunity.
“And I need to be playing at the age that I’m at, you know, in the form that I’m in, and how I’m feeling currently, I need to be playing. We used to play friendlies each and every day, I think from eight friendlies or something, I scored like 15 goals. So yeah, it was just that sort of period for me, but I had to remain positive, remain strong, and just continue to push.”
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