Sowetan

Sangweni offers brotherly advice

‘Thami must forget about friends and work’

- By Tiyani wa ka Mabasa

“If he is here in Johannesbu­rg for the nice life he will not survive.”

This is the view of ex-Orlando Pirates defender Siyabonga Sangweni on his younger brother Thamsanqa’s move to the Soweto giants.

Thamsanqa penned a threeKaize­r year deal with the club recently following in the footsteps of his big brother, who played for Bucs between 2011 and last year, when he was forced to retire due to injuries.

“It will not be easy for him, but I have faith in him,” Siyabonga said yesterday at the MTN8 launch in Johannesbu­rg.

“After the Pirates move, we had a long conversati­on. I told him to focus on his football.”

Siyabonga was there as one of the ambassador­s of the competitio­n.

“If he is here in Johannesbu­rg for ubumnandi (nice life) he will not survive.

“He must forget friends and work hard.”

Siyabonga believes Thamsanqa, 25, will be able to focus on the job at Pirates and deliver as expected.

“I cannot talk on his behalf that much, but from what I’ve seen when we are together at home, he is a discipline­d boy,” he said.

In a Pirates team desperate about

‘‘ If he is here in Johannesbu­rg for nice life he will not survive

for leaders, Siyabonga has backed Thamsanqa to lead by example in the middle of the park.

“When you play the position he plays, you must always be a leader.

“He must always communicat­e with his teammates because he plays an important position on the field,” Siyabonga continued.

 ?? / LEFTY SHIVAMBU / GALLO IMAGES ?? Pirates new recruit Thamsanqa Sangweni is a discipline­d boy who’ll do wonders in the Bucs midfield, according to his brother Siyabonga.
/ LEFTY SHIVAMBU / GALLO IMAGES Pirates new recruit Thamsanqa Sangweni is a discipline­d boy who’ll do wonders in the Bucs midfield, according to his brother Siyabonga.

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