Playing for Orlando Pirates was like playing for South Africa - Moloi

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Teboho Moloi shed light on how he was taught and groomed to play for the Soweto giants, saying chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza is proud of his service to the club.

‘Tebza’ also revealed he used to earn less money compared to his Kaizer Chiefs counterparts such as Doctor Khumalo, because Amakhosi were winning trophies at the time.

The former Buccaneers mentor also goes on to say why wearing the black and white shirt was the equivalent to playing for the South African national team.

“I was taught to play for Pirates, I will be honest with you, during school holidays in 1985 to 86 I used to train with Jomo Cosmos and there’s a picture of the 1973 team that swept all the trophies at Pirates and in that picture I am their mascot but I am not in between my father’s legs, taking the pictures with the whole team, I am in between Jomo Sono’s legs, I love that man,” Moloi told FARPost.

“Playing for Pirates for me was like representing the country each and every day because the Pirates jersey is heavy.

"It is a jersey that you wear each and every day where else the Bafana Bafana jersey you wear it only for six days and then the pressure is off your shoulders but with the Pirates jersey, the pressure will always be there for each and every day of your life until you retire.

"When I went to Pirates [from Cosmos] I was taught that when you join Pirates you are going to serve, you are going to work, you are going to try and change things for the better because in Rockville, Soweto, the Kaizer Chiefs juniors used to train at Elkah Stadium and we would admire them.”

Speaking about his salary, the former Chippa United coach and Bafana Bafana midfielder said he used to earn R400 back in the day and he never received a signing-on fee from the club.

“If my father wanted money out of my talent, he could have taken me to any other team where he would have gotten a fat signing on fee for me, where I would have gotten an exorbitant salary,” he added.

“But my salary at Pirates when I joined them it was R400 and a couple of Rands and my friend at Chiefs [Doctor Khumalo] was earning big money, you must understand Chiefs were winning trophies so there were bonuses but you remember what you were taught.

"So, when I went to Pirates I went to serve, that is why till today I never received any signing on fee from Pirates.

“Irvin Khoza is happy that we have given our time, served the team and the next generation can always be thankful that players like ourselves that went through a lot of hardship, difficult periods for Pirates to be what it today, so when I joined the team I wouldn’t say I joined because I wanted to, I joined because I was sent to go serve.”