Eight years and 50 goals later, Tshegofatso Mabasa has officially bid farewell to Orlando Pirates, leaving the Soweto giants as the club’s second-highest all-time scorer. The 29-year-old striker, who spent the last six months of his contract on loan at Stellenbosch, is now a free agent, and his departure prompted an emotional Instagram letter addressed to the Buccaneers faithful. In it, Mabasa reflected on walking through the doors of Rand Stadium as a hungry young man and expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to represent a club with such a storied legacy, thanking everyone from players and coaches to staff and supporters for the memories that will stay with him forever.
Mabasa’s farewell message was a catalogue of career-defining moments that cemented his status as a Pirates legend. He highlighted the 3-Peat in Durban, the 2023/24 Golden Boot award, back-to-back successes in