Thulani Hlatshwayo has explained in detail how Orlando Pirates denied him the opportunity to fix his mistakes and why he feels the Soweto giants lack
Thulani Hlatshwayo has explained in detail how Orlando Pirates denied him the opportunity to fix his mistakes and why he feels the Soweto giants lack ‘honesty and integrity’ in their dealings.
The former Bafana Bafana international realised his boyhood dream by signing for Bucs on 21 September 2020, leading the club to the MTN8 triumph in his first season. However but things didn’t go according to plan in his second and last campaign at Pirates.
According to Hlatshwayo, everything changed when he made a costly blunder in the 2-1 defeat to bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs on November 6, 2021, and he feels the co-coaches at the time, Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids were not honest with him after all parties had a meeting.
Hlatshwayo said he asked to be released at Pirates following another meeting with the club’s management at the end of the 2021/22 season as he realised his time at the club has over.
“In the change room, I told everyone I take full responsibility for the mistake I made. I made a mistake and was never given an opportunity to fix it, but listen, lesson learnt,” said Hlatshwayo in his latest interview with Press
“They were not completely honest. We had a meeting two days after that game, myself and the coaches, and they told me they were looking to change the team and see if what they were planning would work. But the change never came."
Hlatswayo went on to state that he felt he deserved some explanation for his lack of game time as a senior player. “Tell me. Be blunt with me; I will take it. When such happens to a youngster, we as senior players are the ones expected to tell them, right? But with me, who must talk to me? It’s the coaches. They must be blunt to me, be straightforward,” he added.
“There was no honesty and integrity. I’m not one to talk bad about someone else. I’m not that type of person. Forget me as a player; that’s not in me as a human being. But someday, things will make sense.
“I’m all about honesty, instead of me having to ask myself, ‘Is it me? Is it them?’ Like, ‘What’s happening here?’ Now you start doubting yourself, but you tell yourself surely you can’t be a bad player overnight. So, they should have been just honest with me.
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