On-loan Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has provided an update on his future with his loan stint set to come to an end on June 30.
The 24-year-old is currently on loan at the Buccaneers from SuperSport United until the end of June, though Bucs have an option to further extend his stay.
Mbatha has been a vital cog in Jose Riveiro’s team since joining them in January 2024, racking up 21 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and providing two assists in the process.
He put in another great shift in the middle of the park in this past weekend’s Nedbank Cup final, and got the Man-of-the-Match award, when Pirates rallied from a goal down to beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, and complete a cup double over the same opponents in the 2023/24 season.
- ALSO READ: Mofokeng – What Riveiro Told Me Ahead Of NBC Final Goal
- Rulani Shellshocked After Nedbank Cup Final Defeat
Speaking to the media after their cup final triumph, the KwaMashu-born player admitted that he was unsure what his future holds as discussion between the two clubs will soon commence.
“(Chuckles) As I said earlier, I’m not sure. My agent is the one who is gonna sit down on the drawing board with the team and they’ll be able to decide, as Orlando [Pirates] has the option to buy me or not,” Mbatha said.
“I might say I want to stay but at the end of the day it’s not up to me.”
He also added that he wasn’t too focused on proving himself during the final, but just wanted to stay focused and play his normal football on the day.
“I was just playing football,” he continued.
“I wasn’t minding that my future is not certain. So what I could say is that playing my football and not worrying about my job, because my job is to play football, and my agent’s job is to speak to the team. I feel like that didn’t distract me too much as I was playing the game.”
When further asked if a dream move to Pirates did not materialize, if that would affect him, Mbatha cheekily said,”I’ll continue playing football as I said.
“Yes, it was a very special game because it was my first cup final and I could say that we played very well as a team and congratulations to Orlando Pirates.”
In capping off his season-performance since making the short switch from Tshwane to Johannesburg, Mbatha replied.
“I think I’ve done really well but I still need to do more and it’s not enough. I think I can still score more goals and assist the other players.”
He also reserved praise for head coach Jose Riveiro who has shown great belief in him.
“He’s very humble and a confident coach and he’s a person that believes in his players. I think that is one thing that makes him special.”
It remains to be seen if Gavin Hunt would look to have Mbatha back at Matsatsantsa or if Pirates will place a really good offer on the table and snap him up on a permanent deal.
