Orlando Pirates Star Wants More Game Time After Debut

Orlando Pirates midfield star Azola Tshobeni believes that he deserves to get more playing time for his club after finally putting on the club’s shirt and taking to the field for the first time in the 1-0 victory over Maritzburg United away from home on Saturday.


Pirates headed into the fixture which was played at the Harry Gwala Stadium on the back of two fixtures that did not yield any win. The team, coached by Josef Zinnbauer, was eager to perform and bounce back from their winless run with a win and it was evident in how they played throughout the match.The head coach was also obviously feeling pressured but finally showed how he can maintain calmness even in the most nervy situations by bringing on 18-year-old Tshobeni into the game as he and his side labored hard for a turnaround in a bid to finish the match on a winning note.

The youngster repaid the faith the manager had in him by impressing pretty much beyond the expectations even his coach had of him. Josef must have had so much confidence in his young weapon as he preferred him over more experienced options available to him with the likes of Nkanyiso Zungu, Siphesihle Ndlovu, Fortune Makaringe, and Terrence Dzvukamanja all remaining on the bench.

After the game, the German boss praised his young midfielder but there is no clear indication yet whether this will be the first of many appearances for him under his belt. The Buccaneers are currently gearing up preparations to welcome TS Galaxy in their clash on Tuesday and will be looking to build on their most recent result.

Tshobeni told the Pirates’ website that he is glad to have finally made his debut and wants to continue to work hard so he can get to play more games for his club.