‘I want to be the next Mkhalele for Pirates’
In an effort to finally dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns as the kings of South African football, Orlando Pirates have gone out into the market to bolster their squad yet again. Three of their signings are Namibian international star man Deon Hotto, Terrance Dzvukamanja and Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo.
The Buccaneers, as Pirates are known, have made their intentions clear heading into the new campaign with these three acquisitions and fans will be hoping that their newcomers can hit the ground running and finally end the trophy drought. Hotto, who was one of Bidvest Wits’ star performers last season, will give coach Josef Zinnbauer options going forward. The Namibian winger-cum-midfielder scores goals and contributes with assists too, which is what the Buccaneers will need in the final third to give themselves a chance of winning the biggest prize in South African football – the league.
In an exclusive interview with SoccerLaduma, Hotto said that it feels good to be a Buccaneer. “You know, when you are outside, you don’t normally know what’s happening inside, but the inside is actually overwhelming. It’s something amazing. When I put on the jersey for the first time in training, I could already feel like I am home. The way the guys welcomed me was great, so it was very nice. The moment I stepped into the camp, it was amazing. It’s different from (Bidvest) Wits and (Golden) Arrows and (Bloemfontein) Celtic, where I was (previously). You can see that it’s a big club. When you enter, you can see the guys who played for this club on the left and on the right.”
When asked why he chose to join the Soweto giants, he said: “For me, choosing Pirates was easy, because back home this was the first team I knew, growing up as a boy. Pirates, and their neighbours Kaizer Chiefs, are the teams that everyone in Namibia knows.
So, we used to call ourselves by the names of the players from Pirates and Chiefs. I admired Steve Lekoelea and the Midnight Express – Helman Mkhalele. They used to call my older brother Helman Mkhalele because he was also a winger. My brother’s room was full of pictures of Pirates players and Mkhalele was one of them. So, it was an easy decision for me to choose Pirates. It was the biggest club I knew. It’s a dream come true for me. The club has a rich history of winning trophies and, as a player who wants to improve, I am happy to have joined a club like Pirates.” – SoccerLaduma