Thamsanqa Gabuza: Pirates’ loss, SuperSport’s gain

It’s pretty amazing how football sometimes unfolds…

Just a couple of months ago, Thamsanqa Gabuza was an unwanted man spending a lot of time on the sidelines at Orlando Pirates and not many people cared if he was playing or not.

Things got worse during the transfer window when Bucs starting releasing names of the players who will be transferred and Gabuza’s name was nowhere to be seen.

The question going around, “why is Gabuza not on the transfer list?”, began to escalate on the streets and social media networks.

Fact is, plenty of Pirates fans did not see the need to have Gabuza in their squad and wanted him out, especially with the club having made a number of new signings, especially in the striking force.

And then, news broke that Gabuza will be leaving the club to join SuperSport United, and again, many asked “Why is SuperSport signing Gabuza, who hasn’t been playing so much?”

Thing is, Gabuza used to be one of the fan favourites at Pirates when he was scoring goals, especially during the club’s run in the Caf competitions some seasons ago and he also did well during his stint with Bafana Bafana.

But his goals dried up and things started to go south for him. It escalated when he angered the fans during a league match after creating a goal, before his celebration where he silenced the fans and later walked off the pitch.

But, that’s all in the past and I can safely say, Gabuza has been revived and he is currently enjoying his football at United.

Sure, I know it’s still early in the season, but the fact that he has helped SuperSport saunter into the MTN8 final says a lot.

Let’s forget about the goals he has scored so far at Matsatsantsa, but the two goals he created against Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the semi-final says a lot about the kind of a player he is.

Gabuza might not have the skills that many players possess, but he is a natural centre forward who works tirelessly and gives defenders a tough time.

His teammates benefit a lot from him and I’m certain the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Jammie Webber will attest to my statement.

I foresee a great future for Gabuza at SuperSport and I’m certain the club will benefit much more from him – just as long as he keeps consistency in his game.

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