Cheerful Maswanganyi makes his mark at Bucs
Spain tour brings the best out of new recruit
Orlando Pirates’ new signing Patrick Maswanganyi has wasted no time making his mark as he scored twice on their pre-season tour of Spain.
Maswanganyi scored the winning goal in his team’s 1-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel in a training match, and then added a second goal as they beat Independiente del Valle 3-1 last week.
“It’s a great feeling to be part of this club. I’m really enjoying myself so far,” Maswanganyi said of his new home with the Buccaneers.
“My teammates are incredible and they have really helped me to settle in. In my time here I’ve already improved in my skills and movement and that’s what I want to do. I want to learn more about football, and this is a big team and proud club and I want to be a part of the history of Orlando Pirates.”
After their strong performances in Spain, Maswanganyi has called on his new Pirates family of fans to have faith in what they can achieve in a season that will include CAF Champions League participation.
“The Champions League means a lot for this team and it’s a great opportunity to test our skills and play against the best. So the message I have for the fans is to please keep supporting the players and believing in us. We will keep trying to improve and give our best every single game.”
Having spent time in Portugal and seen first-hand the strength of their youth structures, Maswanganyi’s international experience and exposure to that level of coaching will certainly be an asset for Pirates this season.
“Portugal has a very good development structure. It’s easy for young players over there to be part of the Benfica or Porto academies and they grow up in those structures. For us in SA, it’s a lot harder as a young player to find that quality coaching early in your career.”