The club Orlando Pirates has announced the termination of cooperation with goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi. This decision was made on the eve of the team's pre-season tour in Spain.
Player's history with the club
Buthelezi joined Pirates three seasons ago from TS Galaxy. However, his time with the team was limited: he played only 22 matches and kept 12 clean sheets. He mainly served as a substitute for the starting goalkeeper Sipho Cheane.
Achievements and gratitude
Last season, Cheane demonstrated outstanding play, keeping an unprecedented 21 clean sheets in 30 league matches, which helped the team win its first Betway Premiership title in 14 years. Cheane highly appreciated the support received from fellow goalkeepers, including Buthelezi. Despite this, Cheane will have a new deputy next season.
The club expressed gratitude to Buthelezi for his conduct during his tenure, where he participated in winning six trophies: the league title, three MTN8 trophies, one Nedbank Cup, and the Karling Knockout. The club officially stated that it thanks Melusi Buthelezi for his professionalism, dedication, and contribution during his time at Orlando Pirates, wishing him success in the next chapter of his career.
Pre-season preparation and transfers
The team is preparing to start life without Buthelezi in the coming days as they head to Marbella, Spain, for their fifth consecutive pre-season tour. Over the last four seasons, Pirates have honed their preparation in Marbella before returning home to achieve significant domestic success, culminating in last season's championship title.
Meanwhile, Buthelezi becomes the thirteenth player to leave the Bucs camp during the current transfer window. The club has also parted ways with other notable names, including Relebokhile Mofokeng, who moved to Royal Union Saint-Gilloise from the Belgian Pro League on a major contract, as well as Sipho Mbulle, whose contract expired.