Bucs set sights on Hlatshwayo

And the Bafana Bafana and Clever Boys’ skipper says he’s keen for a ‘new challenge’

BAFANA Bafana captain, Thulani Hlatshwayo, has made no secret of his desire to take up a new challenge elsewhere and is quite optimistic that he can still make a move from his beloved Bidvest Wits in the next fortnight.

Hlatshwayo has been a vital cog for the Clever Boys in the last couple of years and it is public knowledge that his dream team as a child was Orlando Pirates.

The Buccaneers are reported to be interested in luring Hlatshwayo to Parktown to stop their defensive wall from letting in goals. Pirates are early favourites to challenge for the league honours this season but the Soweto outfit has conceded four goals in two games.

Said Hlatshwayo: “I’m comfortable at Bidvest Wits but the window is still open and anything can still happen.”

The PSL transfer window closes at the end of the month and it is expected that the Buccaneers will be pushing hard to win the race for the signature of Hlatshwayo. The fact that Bucs have conceded in all of their matches in various competitions is a cause for concern for the technical team. Hlatshwayo may prove to be a solution to their obvious defensive frailties but they may have to break the bank to capture his signature.

“I’m still contracted to Bidvest Wits, so everything lies with the management. Obviously I’ve made it clear that I want a new challenge,” he added.

The big defender’s presence in Wits’ last line of defence has seen the Clever Boys concede only one goal while keeping two clean sheets in three league encounters. Hlatshwayo, nicknamed Tyson, has featured in all of those matches.

“The guys played well tonight. We knew what was expected of Polokwane City. The last time we visited here, we played out to a draw, so we are happy with the points we got tonight,” Hlatshwayo said after Wednesday night’s 1-0 away victory.

Despite learning of Hlatshwayo’s post-match comments, Wits coach Gavin Hunt yesterday insisted the 29-year-old defender was “very much happy” at the club. Hunt was responding to questions during their MTN8 press conference ahead of their clash against SuperSport United on Sunday.

“No, he doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Hunt said.

“He’s happy with us and he’s fine. (But) you can never say never in football. If you can scan down the road, players go down for free and they now want to be bought back. But I don’t want to lose the boy, he knows that.

“He’s the captain of our team and the national team. He feels he’s at home and we’ve come a long way.”