Share

Pirates pay tribute to long-serving fullback

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates have thanked long-serving fullback Thabo Matlaba for his contribution to the club involving seven-and-a-half years of stellar service.

Matlaba decided to part ways with the Sea Robbers earlier this week after turning down an offer to take a pay-cut to stay at club.

The player, nicknamed 'Festival', had fallen out of favour under coach Milutin Sredojevic in 2018/19 and it was unclear what his future might be with his deal coming to an end.

However, he has since parted ways with the Soweto giants and said his goodbyes to the team's official website.

He said: "I know some people were asking 'who is Thabo Matlaba' and maybe some people undermined my capabilities after coming from a small team like Free State Stars.

"So playing like I did against Maritzburg United (on debut) also gave me opportunity to prove that I can play for a big team like Pirates."

The club added: "From that match, Festival, as he is affectionately known, went on to establish himself as a regular feature at left back. Pirates went on to secure the treble that year with Thabo playing alongside the likes of Benni McCarthy, Lucky Lekgwathi and Siyabonga Sangweni.

"Thabo went on to even captain the Mighty Buccaneers as well as play in both the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup finals, and also lift more silverware in the form of the Nedbank Cup in 2014.

"There are no words to fully express the gratitude towards Thabo's contribution at the Club and even though he has featured less on the field in recent seasons, he remained a positive and influential member of the squad.

"Thank you for the wonderful memories Festival!"

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE