Maritzburg United duo Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu have finally made the move to Orlando Pirates, who have also unveiled five other players and a new goalkeeper coach on a busy Monday.
Midfielders Makaringe and Ndlovu’s journey from the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg to Orlando has been one of the worst-kept secrets in local football in recent months.
Maritzburg chairman Farook Kadodia has bemoaned a lack of sponsors for the Team of Choice, which has seen the club being forced to sell their stars such as Lebohang Maboe, Evans Rusike and Cuthbert Malajila previously.
And now Makaringe and Ndlovu have followed them out of the KZN Midlands to one of the Soweto giants in Pirates, who have also offloaded a number of players in recent weeks.
Apart from the Maritzburg duo, the Buccaneers also announced the arrival of Kabelo Dlamini, Bongani Sam and Tshegofatso Mabasa of Bloemfontein Celtic, as well as Tebogo Tlolane of Chippa United.
With Jackson Mabokgwane one of the players released last week, coach Milutin Sredojevic has brought in a foreigner, Frenchman Joris Delle, on a three-year contract.
Delle has played in France, The Netherlands and Belgium previously.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnceAlways?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/ZGUVxWoP58
— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates)
“I am glad to join this prestigious football club called Orlando Pirates and starting a new adventure in South Africa,” Delle said on Monday.
“Happy to be part of an ambitious club with amazing fans who will accompany us on the road of success.
“I think that I will be the first French player to play for the Pirates. I would like also be the first to win titles there. Let’s go for it, it starts by a good pre-season!”
Delle will be coached by another new face at Orlando Stadium, Jyri Nieminen, who is the goalkeeper coach.
Nieminen replaces Andrew Sparkes, who left the club last month.
Nieminen last worked as a goalkeeper coach in the United States at MLS club San Jose Earthquakes, and has operated in Qatar before that. He also possesses a Uefa A Goalkeeping licence.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/orlandopirates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@orlandopirates #oncealways https://t.co/Z7oC42JLnQ
— Jyri Nieminen (@Jyrinieminen1)
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