Thabiso Sesane detailed the struggles he endured before cementing his spot in Jose Riveiro's Orlando Pirates side.
Check it out!
Read: Zwane Gets His Flowers For 50th Bafana Cap
The story
Orlando Pirates rising star, Thabiso Sesane has been one of the standout performers in defence for the unbeaten Buccaneers so far this season.
The 24-year-old, who recently earned his first Bafana Bafana call-up, Sesane has featured in all of Pirates' 11 matches across all competition in the current campaign, a major improvement compared to last season, where he managed just as many games throughout the entire 2023/24 season.
Sesane spoke candidly about the hard work he's had to put in, to certify his spot in the Orlando Pirates starting line-up alongside Nigerian international, Olisa Ndah.
"Pepe" detailed the difficulty of his journey on the new "BucsCamp: MTN8 2024" a documentary series from the Pirates production team that gives supporters an exclusive look into how the Soweto Giants secured a third consecutive MTN8 Cup title.
After mentioning how he was scouted from a Kasi Football tournament into the Buccaneers' development structures, Sesane looked back at his initial breakthrough into the Bucs first team set-up in 2021.
Read: Onana Gets Love From Man United-Obsessed Ugandan Politician
"After that game against Maritzburg United [his first start for Bucs], I think I injured my hamstring. So after that season, we had pre-season camp in the North-West. I think I also got injured there.
"So, when we got back to Johannesburg, I received a call from the office. When I got there, they told me that, 'Man, we're thinking about loaning you out because we don't there's space for you in the squad this season," although Sesane was relieved to be loaned out to a club close to home, Jomo Cosmos, it was still a difficult period in his career.
"It was tough, I won't lie. It was tough, I was always crying. I called my mom telling her that I'm thinking of leaving this whole thing. Because to be honest, when I left Cosmos, I felt like I had already given up. I felt like a player who is always going to be loaned out," reflected Sesane.
After another loan, this time to Cape Town All Stars in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, Sesane started to regain his self belief.
"You see at All Stars, the environment was great I won't lie. I felt like I was at home. Yeah, I regained my confidence," said Sesane, who experienced another setback after his loan deal.
"So, the chairman called me to say he wants me to report to camp in the North West. I trained Wednesday, Thursday and played a friendly on Friday. I think on Saturday, the team was departing for Spain and I was I'm not going. So, that was really painful for me because in this team, I've participated in all their travels. So what happened to me last season deeply affected me," noted Sesane, who turned to a former Pirates captain for guidance.
"So, I had to go cry to one person, there's no other, Happy [Jele]. I sat down with him and cried. He told me to be strong, but it was really painful because I didn't know where I stood," added Sesane.
The skillful central defender wasn't deterred by his lack of game time at the start of the 2023/24 season, as he was determined to work hard and wait for his opportunity to impress.
"I didn't play any of the games when the season started but I didn't give up. I motivated and told myself that any chance I get, I'll use it. So, the other guys kept playing and we'd motivate one another during training," stated the young defender, who has seized his opportunity to start at Pirates with both hands this season.
Jose Riveiro also credited Sesane's patience, "Thabiso Sesane is an example of what you should be as a professional football player. He's an example for everybody, to understand what it means to be patient when you are part of a team like Orlando Pirates. He was patient, with zero complaints," said the Spaniard.
"For me, he's an example for every academy player first of all, for every youngster, for every player that sometimes feels maybe they are not being looked at or thought about, or his not being in our plans for the future to say, maybe it's a good idea to stay calm, to keep working, to keep listening, to be ready when the opportunity comes," added Riveiro.
Watch Sesane's segment on the new Bucs Camp doccie series below:
Skip to minute 9:45 for Sesane's story...
