It is all systems go as the long-awaited MTN8 “Wafa Wafa” final is looming, and new Orlando Pirates fan favourite Patrick Maswanganyi is ready to help his side defend their crown against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Pirates will be going toe-to-toe with Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. Kick-off time is at 6pm.
Maswanganyi has been the darling of Orlando since his surprise move from SuperSport United at the start of the season, scoring goals and providing assists.
The 25-year-old has been a breath of fresh air in the DStv Premiership and heaps praise from the Bucs faithful for his silkiness, flair and flamboyance with the ball.
The MTN8 will be Maswanganyi’s first domestic cup final since returning to South Africa from Portugal during the 2022/23 season and says winning his first trophy with the Buccaneers would be a dream come true.
“It’s amazing that I will be playing my first final with a big team like Orlando Pirates,” Mswanganyi said midweek during a Pirates press briefing at Rand Stadium.
“We want to do well as a team. We want to make sure that we make our fans happy, especially coming from the last [four] games that didn’t go our way. We want to bounce back and get to winning ways, and we have an opportunity to do that in a final.”
On being a fan favourite and the demand that comes with representing a club of Pirates caliber, Maswanganyi said he is under no form of pressure and is relishing the moment of being a Buccaneer.
“There’s no pressure at all,” he emphasised.
“It is all about me being myself, trying to enjoy myself and trying to make sure that I help the team as well. I am just playing my own football, the football that I know.
“I am just happy that I am able to contribute to the team by assisting and sometimes scoring goals.”
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa.
