Orlando Pirates News Today: How Bucs beat Chiefs to Mthiyane, Mofokeng’s Serero path & more

Orlando Pirates news, covering Relebohile Mofokeng’s place in PSL history as he follows Thulani Serero to Europe, Melusi Buthelezi’s emotional farewell and how the Buccaneers pipped Kaizer Chiefs to the signing of Mthetheleli Mthiyane.

How Bucs pipped Kaizer Chiefs to Mthiyane

Orlando Pirates did not just sign Mthetheleli Mthiyane this summer — they beat Kaizer Chiefs to him for the second time.

Kaizer Chiefs’ interest in the midfielder did not end when he joined Stellenbosch FC last season, with Soccer Laduma reporting that Amakhosi revisited the possibility of signing him during the current transfer window before Pirates won the race for his signature.

Mthiyane’s former coach, Mandla Qhogi, shed light on how close Chiefs came to landing the player before he slipped through their fingers once again.

“There were offers from Chiefs and Stellenbosch. I don’t know what might have happened between Chiefs and him, or how he ended up at Stellenbosch. It would have been unfair to take him to Eswatini when he had offers in the PSL,” said Qhogi.

Mofokeng set to follow in Serero’s footsteps

Relebohile Mofokeng’s move to Belgian Pro League champions Royale Union Saint-Gilloise places him in rare company, as he becomes only the latest in a short line of PSL Footballer of the Season nominees to make the leap to Europe.

Thulani Serero, then with Ajax Cape Town, was the first winner in the 2010/11 season to not return to the PSL the following campaign, signing for Ajax Amsterdam. Mofokeng, who is up for this season’s award alongside Oswin Appollis and Teboho Mokoena, is now retracing that same path — but with arguably more fanfare.

On 2 July 2026, Mofokeng signed a four-year contract with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of R65.3 million, a South African record for the domestic sale of a local player, surpassing Percy Tau’s R50 million transfer in 2018.

Orlando Pirates confirmed that an agreement in principle between the two clubs was in fact reached before the start of the FIFA World Cup, where Mofokeng went on to make three appearances for Bafana Bafana.

Buthelezi pens emotional Orlando Pirates farewell

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi has bid an emotional farewell to the club following his unexpected departure from the Soweto giants.

The Buccaneers confirmed the exit of the 28-year-old on Friday afternoon, bringing down the curtain on a three-year spell with the Sea Robbers. Buthelezi’s surprising departure came shortly after Pirates had triggered an option to extend his contract for the upcoming season. Despite his sudden exit, he had firmly established himself as the club’s second-choice goalkeeper, providing reliable backup to Sipho Chaine.

The KwaZulu-Natal-born shot-stopper joined Pirates on 1 July 2023 from TS Galaxy and made 22 appearances across all competitions during his time at the club, keeping 12 clean sheets and conceding 14 goals.

“To the Orlando Pirates family, it’s never easy to say goodbye to a place that has shaped you in so many ways. I want to thank everyone at Orlando Pirates for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to wear this badge. It has truly been an honour,” he wrote.