Basadien: Pirates Wanted To Sign Me Before Sundowns Transfer
Fawaaz Basadien has confirmed that Orlando Pirates made an offer to sign him before Mamelodi Sundowns secured his transfer.
Basadien recently joined Sundowns from Stellenbosch, becoming the third player in a year and a half to move from Stellenbosch to the defending champions.
The other two players were Iqraam Rayners, who was signed at the beginning of last season after Sundowns triggered his release clause, and Jayden Adams, who joined in the January transfer window.
Basadien, who was named Stellenbosch’s best player last season, was already the subject of transfer rumors. His departure seemed inevitable, especially after his impressive performance helped Stellenbosch finish third in the league, reach the MTN8 final, and make it to the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals.
Kaizer Chiefs had also made an offer for him at the start of last season, but Stellenbosch resisted, stating he was not for sale.
Pirates, who had also signed Deano van Rooyen from Stellenbosch, came knocking again after Paseko Mako‘s departure to Chiefs created a vacancy at left-back.
They targeted Basadien, but the move did not materialize, leaving the player feeling stressed about the uncertainty.
On Thursday, during an interview with Robert Marawa on MSW, Basadien confirmed, “Yes, they did,” when asked if Pirates had made an offer for him.
However, Basadien stated that Sundowns was the only club he was truly interested in joining, and he is fully aware of the competitive environment he is entering.
Sundowns’ star-studded squad includes several players who can play left-back, such as Divine Lunga, Asekho Tiwani, Terrence Mashego, and Aubrey Modiba.
Basadien made his debut for Sundowns in their MTN8 quarter-final win against Richards Bay, playing on the right side, which is not his natural position.
As Sundowns convincingly won that game, Basadien will have an early chance to face his former suitors when they meet Pirates in the two-legged MTN8 semi-finals before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see where Basadien features when Sundowns begin their 2025/26 league title defense against Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (15:00).
