Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Ndlovu explains why he had to leave Pirates

'I went 10 games without making a 20-man squad and that is frustrating,' he said.


At 26 years old, Siphesihle Ndlovu felt he should have been playing week-in week-out at Orlando Pirates, but that was not the case, which is why he decided to turn his back on The Ghost and look for greener pastures at SuperSport United.

Ndlovu arrived at the Buccaneers with a lot of expectation and he featured in 21 league games for Pirates in his first season. But what followed was constantly being overlooked and that eventually led him to the exit door, he tells Phakaaathi.

“I had to choose between staying and not playing, or reviving my career. I decided to move and get a deal here at SuperSport because at Pirates, I went 10 games without making a 20-man squad and that is frustrating. If you know that you are one of the better midfielders in the PSL, you rate yourself as a player because of the things you did,” said Ndlovu.

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“I have never been in the wrong. I have always behaved and pitched to training on time and I always tried to do my part even if I was not playing. It was very easy to approach the management to allow me to move because I told them that I feel like I am falling.

“You have to really go with what works for you and you also need to know if the coach is going to use you. I have not been a regular at Pirates and it has been a struggle,” Ndlovu added.

Loan deal

The former Maritzburg United midfielder’s short term deal with The Spartans will expire in May next year and he hopes to impress Gavin Hunt enough to earn himself a longer deal. But as fate has it, anything can happen in football, and Ndlovu understands that.

“When the season finishes, a lot of moves happen and I am also involved in that so I am not sure what is going to happen but I am hoping for the best. I have been extremely happy here which is why I have been performing the way I have been. You can never perform if you are not happy. You have to free your mind, your soul and your spirit in order for you to perform your best,” said Ndlovu.

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