Former Orlando Pirates midfielder says criticism in South Africa affected his family

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick “Tito” Maswanganyi has revealed why he dumped the Buccaneers this season, saying he wanted to leave the club during Jose Riveiro’s final season.

The 28-year-old joined Bahrain side Al Khaldiya SC two months ago in a surprise move. He said the decision to leave the club started two seasons ago and that he needed peace and to regain his confidence after heavy criticism during his stay, which also affected his family.

“I’ve always asked the chairman for me to leave the club because I felt like it was the right moment for me to leave, and we spoke about it for a very long time about me leaving the club,” Maswanganyi said during an interview with the South African Football Journalists Association (Safja) on Monday night.

“And I felt that was going to help me in terms of me being myself and also me being able to regain my confidence, because sometimes I would feel really down and I always had to explain to them I wish to play for another team.

“I needed to be in a space where I felt I could be myself again and also, I needed peace, I was looking for peace in which way when I was in SA, I couldn’t have, but I needed peace, that’s why I went there.”

Maswanganyi said his family were affected by comments on social media and he felt leaving the country would help him avoid such.

“Everyone knows that I was under a lot of pressure, not really pressure but my family was suffering from the comments that I was getting from [social] media. So they would see those kinds of things and they wanted me to quit football. But for me it was something whereby I would understand because I’m a football player, these things happen. But for them it was really tough.

If I wanted more money from Pirates, I would have gotten more money because I would have asked the chairman [Irvin Khoza]. You know, but it wasn’t even about the money.

“I had to make sure that my family is protected from all those things. I just felt like that if I would move far away from the country, things would get better in terms of their [mental] health.”

He also insisted the move to Bahrain was not influenced by money, but by a desire to be away from home.

“It wasn’t because of getting [more] money. If I wanted more money from Pirates, I would have gotten more money because I would have asked the chairman [Irvin Khoza]. You know, but it wasn’t even about the money.”

Maswanganyi also addressed his relationship with his former coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and said they were on good terms before leaving.