Stellenbosch head coach Gavin Hunt has explained why Tshegofatso Mabasa was not featured much for Orlando Pirates this season.
The 29-year-old was signed on loan by the Cape Winelands side until the end of the season. On his debut, Mabasa scored for Stellies, which has Pirates players asking questions.
The Buccaneers have often struggled for goals in the second half of the season, with Evidence Makgopa and Yanela Mbuthuma failing to score.
Hunt feels the ex-Pirates striker did not fit the system of Abdeslam Ouaddou, which requires strikers to press defenders and try to win the ball.
“I said to my guys on Thursday, ‘You can’t play Mabasa if you’re not going to service him; you have to service a striker’,” Hunt said in a presser.
“He doesn’t do the things that Pirates want him to do [press defences], which I understand; he doesn’t do that for us either. But if you service him, he will score because this guy can score. On Wednesday, he had one chance he should have scored, maybe two.
“But if you play wide, you’ve got to service him. So, if you service him and put balls across, he’ll come across into your post and score,” he added.
Pirates fans missing Mabasa
Mabasa was a fan favourite, having spent six years with Pirates and scored 50 goals. Before leaving the Soweto giants, Sniper had scored four goals in nine matches across all competitions.
Since joining Stellies, he has netted three times, including a brace in his last outing against Chippa United.