Why ex-Bafana Bafana captain Hlatshwayo has declined at Orlando Pirates - Mkhwanazi

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The towering centre back revealed what made his central defence partnership with Tyson good

SuperSport United defender Buhle Mkhwanazi says his former teammate Thulani 'Tyson' Hlatshwayo's indifferent form at Orlando Pirates is a 'mental situation'.

The duo formed one of the best central defence partnerships in the PSL during their time together at the now-defunct Bidvest Wits and they played an instrumental role in helping the team clinch the PSL title, Telkom Knockout Cup and MTN8 title.

They were also influential for South Africa as the first-choice centre-back pairing through the course of the Bafana Bafana's successful 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, before helping the team reach the quarter-finals in Egypt.

Wits then sold their top-flight status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the following year and Mkhwanazi remained clubless for almost 12 months, while Hlatshwayo moved to Pirates where he underperformed last season.

"I feel the performance of a footballer is affected by a lot of things, the first thing that affects it or which club they move to is one; the fans and two; family," Mkhwanazi told the South African Football Journalists' Association.

"Families play a huge part in us joining teams you know and it's something that's mental too, it's a mental situation. You can't say if this one and this one can't play together, they won't perform."

Having committed mistakes that led to Pirates conceding goals, Hlatshwayo was dropped from the Bafana squad and the 31-year-old has now lost the national team captaincy to SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Pirates were among the PSL clubs which were linked with Mkhwanazi, but it was SuperSport, who signed the 31-year-old player last month and he revealed what made his partnership with Tyson special.

"When we met, I came with my qualities and he came with his own. We had to just incorporate them. [Tyson's form] it's just a mental situation. Football is about pairing and that starts the minute you know your strengths," he added.

"Somehow, the person you are playing with, when you know their strengths you compliment each other. You find fewer weaknesses."

Considered to be the best central defender in the country at the time, Hlatshwayo led Wits to the 2016/17 PSL title, while playing with Mkhwanazi in central defence under coach Gavin Hunt.

Tyson was then nominated in three PSL awards categories - Defender of the Season and Footballer of the Season.

2021-09-04 18:00:02

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