Tshegofatso Mabasa seeks fresh start as Stellenbosch secure Pirates striker on loan
Orlando Pirates have allowed Tshegofatso Mabasa to join Stellenbosch FC on loan until the end of the season.
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Stellenbosch FC have signed Tshegofatso Mabasa on loan from Orlando Pirates until the end of the season.
The 29-year-old moves to the Cape Winelands side after struggling for game time with the Soweto giants despite being one of their most consistent performers last season.
“Orlando Pirates can confirm the move of striker Tshegofatso Mabasa to Stellenbosch FC,” Pirates said on their official X page on Monday afternoon. “The 29-year-old moves to Stellies on a loan for the remainder of the season.”
Since Abdeslam Ouaddou’s arrival at Pirates, Mabasa has found game time hard to come by, and has featured just nine times in all competitions during the current campaign, and has found the back of the net just four times.
Without Mabasa, Pirates have fared well, and have already claimed the MTN8 and Carling Knockout titles, and are well placed in unseating Mamelodi Sundowns as the kings of South African football as they sit top of the Betway Premiership, two points ahead of the champions and with a game in hand.
Stellenbosch, now under the tutelage of Gavin Hunt, will be hoping the Bafana Bafana star hits the ground running. The club have had a torrid season and are involved in a relegation scrap against Chippa United and newly promoted Mages FC near the bottom of the league.
The move now offers Mabasa a timely opportunity to rediscover rhythm, confidence and regular minutes at a crucial stage of the season. For Stellenbosch, it is a calculated gamble on proven top-flight quality to fire them away from danger, while for the striker it represents a chance to remind Pirates – and the rest of the league – of the impact he can still make when trusted as a central figure rather than a peripheral option.
IOL Sport