Pirates Target Arrows Duo Cisse And Ndlovu
Sportswire can exclusively confirm that Orlando Pirates have opened formal talks with Lamontville Golden Arrows over a blockbuster double swoop for Isaac Cisse and Siyanda Ndlovu ahead of next season.
Given the historically smooth transfer relations between the Buccaneers and Abafana Bes’thende, securing the highly rated duo is expected to be a straightforward formality during the upcoming off-season window.
A step up to the Soweto giants felt inevitable after both players propelled the Durban-based side into the upper echelons of the top half. Arrows currently sit sixth in the Betway Premiership standings with 40 points from 29 matches.
Cisse was heavily influential this past weekend, getting on the scoresheet as Arrows dismantled Chippa United 2-0 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium—a result that officially guaranteed the club a top-eight finish and qualification for next season’s MTN8.
The 19-year-old mid-season breakout star, who signed from Ivorian outfit Société Omnisports de l’Armée, has featured 24 times across all competitions this term, registering four goals and two assists.
It is his high-octane energy, tactical vision, and relentless box-to-box work rate that ultimately captivated the Pirates technical team, who are aggressively reinforcing their squad for another grueling CAF Champions League campaign next season.
Meanwhile, his 22-year-old partner-in-crime, Siyanda Ndlovu, has been equally destructive. The attacker has racked up 30 appearances across all competitions, boasting an impressive return of four goals and eight assists.
Ndlovu’s explosive form earlier in the campaign saw him sweep the Premier Soccer League (PSL) monthly accolades, claiming Player of the Month award in September and October. He also bagged the Goal of the Month award for a breathtaking solo effort against Stellenbosch FC on 22 October.
While the versatile forward was previously linked with a move to Mamelodi Sundowns, it now appears that Miguel Cardoso’s outfit will lose out on the coveted starlet to the Sea Robbers.
For over two decades, Golden Arrows has served as a reliable goldmine for Orlando Pirates. If concluded, Cisse and Ndlovu will join an illustrious list of stars who traded Durban for Soweto, including the late Bheka Phakathi, Siyabonga Sangweni, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Thembela Sikhakhane, Njabulo Manqana, Mlungisi “Gumbi” Mdluli, and goalkeeper Francis Chansa.
If both players sign, it will mark the first time since the 2012/13 transfer window that Pirates have secured a simultaneous double-player swoop from Arrows in a single registration period.
