Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says he doesn’t view Thalente Mbatha as the player who doesn’t belong to the club, as the youngster looks at home with the Soweto giants. 

Mbatha joined Pirates on loan from SuperSport United in the January transfer window with the option to extend his stay beyond the current season.

The 24-year-old has impressed, making five starts in his seven league appearances so far. He bagged his first professional goal in the 4-0 thrashing of Royal AM at Harry Gwala Stadium on Sunday.

Mbatha’s composed finish in the 56th minute effectively sealed the victory for Pirates against a lackluster Royal AM side.

“That’s probably not the space to talk about that right now,” said Riveiro as he didn’t want to commit to Mbatha’s future. 

“So far, he’s a group player, he’s in our squad. I don’t see him as a player who is on loan. He is one player in our arsenal, we are going to use him as well as we can and the people who will decide about his future include the player and look for a talented future and I hope for the best for him.”

Earlier this month, SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt suggested to Sportswire that Mbatha may have secured a permanent move to Pirates. However, Hunt also questioned Mbatha’s fitness and ability, claiming he wasn’t better than other options at SuperSport.

Picture courtesy of Orlando Pirates