Makaringe – My Form Has Not Declined At Pirates

Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe doesn’t think his performance has declined since he joined the Soweto giants.

When Makaringe moved Pirates from Maritzburg United at the beginning of 2019/20 season, he was a hit along with Siphesihle Ndlovu and Lebohang Maboe.

The trio led Maritzburg to the Nedbank Cup final, the club’s maiden final, but lost to Free State Stats in the 2017/18 season. But the football displayed under Fadlu Davids captured the hearts of many, dumping Mamelodi Sundowns out in the semi-final of the Ke Yona Cup. They then finished fourth in the league, the club’s highest finish in the PSL era.

However, the team was cut apart in the next transfer windows, with Maboe leaving to join Sundowns at the beginning of 2018/19 season, while Makaringe and Ndlovu followed by joining Pirates in the following season.

But, with the stage set for them at Pirates to flourish, they have not hit the height that was expected. Ndlovu grew frustrated and has since joined SuperSport United before the transfer window got shut.

Makaringe has continued to struggle somewhat, but argued, saying there are other aspects of his game that have tremendously improved.

“Its football,” said Makaringe when asked by iDiski Times why his game has not improved at Pirates.

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“Where I was before and where I’m right now, it’s not the same. The expectations here and where I was before are not the same. In football when you play and you grow, there are challenges you do face that you end up questioning them.

“It might happen that others see that I’m not as outstanding as I was in the previous team, but at the same time I have matured better than where I was before and the way we play in this team is not the same and expectations are not the same.

“The mandate we have at Pirates is not the same as at Maritzburg. I can say for example that at Maritzburg it was mostly about surviving relegation but at Pirates it is about winning trophies.

“Maybe, if I can look myself in the mirror, I’ll say I have improved hugely because I can play everywhere at Pirates, whereas at Maritzburg I was playing in specific positions.”

While Makaringe has many arguments about his time at Pirates, he was not part of the match-day squad as they beat AmaZulu 1-0 in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Overall, the 29-year-old has made 10 appearances for the Buccaneers this season but was just thrice in the starting XI.