Tshegofatso Mabasa joins Moroccan champions Maghreb de Fes on three-year deal

Tshegofatso Mabasa has completed a move from Orlando Pirates to Moroccan champions Maghreb de Fes on a three-year contract, ending months of uncertainty over the striker’s future.

The 29-year-old had been at a crossroads for much of the current transfer window after bringing his time with Orlando Pirates to an end. He had been linked with several clubs, including South African giants Kaizer Chiefs, while teams in Iraq and Turkiye were also reported to be interested in signing him.

However, no agreement was reached with any of those clubs before Mabasa finalised his move to Morocco.

Maghreb de Fes are understood to have made an attractive offer for the forward, with the deal potentially representing the final major payday of his playing career. Mabasa travelled to the North African country on Sunday to complete the formalities and is now set to begin a new chapter with the Botola Pro League champions.

He will also make history at the club, becoming the first South African player to wear the colours of Maghreb de Fes.

The move brings an end to a difficult period for Mabasa at Orlando Pirates. The striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Stellenbosch FC after falling down the pecking order at the Soweto club.

Evidence Makgopa and Yanela Mbuthuma were preferred ahead of him in the Pirates attack, limiting Mabasa’s opportunities to add to his record for The Buccaneers.

Before leaving the club, Mabasa had established himself as one of Orlando Pirates’ leading scorers. He is second only to the legendary Benedict Vilakazi in the club’s scoring charts, but his reduced role meant it became increasingly clear that he would need to move elsewhere to continue his career.

His loan spell at Stellenbosch FC followed a dramatic decline in his position within the Pirates squad. On returning from the temporary move, the prospect of Mabasa remaining at the club appeared increasingly unlikely, prompting interest from teams both in South Africa and abroad.

Kaizer Chiefs were among the most prominent domestic clubs linked with the striker. Alongside the interest from Iraq and Turkiye, those approaches created the possibility of Mabasa continuing his career in a different league, but none resulted in a completed transfer.

Instead, Maghreb de Fes have secured his signature on a long-term contract and offered him the opportunity to compete in North Africa.

His new club’s continental ambitions will provide an immediate challenge. Maghreb de Fes are due to enter the CAF Champions League, with the preliminary-round draw scheduled to take place in Cairo on Thursday.

Mabasa’s switch therefore gives him both a fresh start after his departure from Orlando Pirates and the chance to compete in one of African football’s leading club competitions.