Why I left Pirates and joined Sundowns – Manyisa
Oupa Manyisa has explained his decision to leave Orlando Pirates and join Mamelodi Sundowns.
Free agent Oupa Manyisa joins Chippa United. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Manyisa stunned many people, especially the Pirates team, when he ended his nine-year stint at Bucs and joined rivals Sundowns during the last transfer period.
The 28-year-old former Pirates captain says he needed to grow as a player.
READ: Kekana reveals what he told Manyisa
“As a player, you have to grow. I took the path of growing by coming here. I will grow as a player here because I know that I have to start afresh and fight for my place in the team,” Manyisa told the Sundowns website.
“It’s part of life. If I didn’t want to grow as a player, I would have said that I don’t want to go anywhere and just stayed where I was already at, and everything would be simple for me.
“I decided to go because there are some players who want to play football who were coming after me. I also felt that I wouldn’t be doing justice to the younger boys there if I stayed and blocked their progress. I had to leave so that they can start growing and make names for themselves. I also want to take my football to the next level which is why I joined an ambitious team like Sundowns that wants to win everything,” he added.
Manyisa says he is enjoying his stay at Chloorkop under the mentorship of Pitso Mosimane.
“It’s a nice atmosphere working with him because he lives football. Everything about him is football. It shows in how he works, and the results that the club has achieved.
“When you join his team, you come here to live football. You don’t just come here, train and go to the game. You have to live football 24/7. I am also like that. It’s easier for me to even handle the assignments he gives us of analysing our games and our opponents. That’s what I have been doing all these years. Sitting home, watching football and analysing my opponents,” Manyisa concluded.
REVEALED: Why Manyisa left Pirates
