Tito Maswanganyi says family peace, not money, drove Orlando Pirates exit

Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi says he left Orlando Pirates for Bahrain to find peace for himself and his family after suffering online abuse from some of the club’s supporters.

The attacking midfielder’s departure from the Buccaneers surprised many, given his importance to the team. But Maswanganyi said personal and family well-being, rather than financial gain, was central to his decision.

Speaking in a virtual interview with the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA), the 28-year-old rejected the suggestion that his move to the Gulf was intended to compensate financially for the early years of his career spent away from South Africa.

“I would say no, even though everyone needs money, you know? But for me, I’ve always played football for myself to enjoy it. Even when I play, I always told myself that I’m gonna enjoy playing on the field,” Maswanganyi said.

He insisted that increasing his earnings was not the reason he chose to leave Soweto. Maswanganyi added that, if money had been his priority, he could have sought improved terms from Orlando Pirates.

“But also, I wanted to leave because I wanted to be at peace and for my family to be at peace. It wasn’t because of any or getting the money. If I wanted more money from Pirates, I would have gotten more money because I would have asked the Chairman. You know, but it wasn’t even about the money.”