Eric Tinkler reportedly keen to lure Orlando Pirates striker Thamsanqa Gabuza to SuperSport United

Orlando Pirates striker Thamsanqa Gabuza could reportedly reunite with Eric Tinkler at SuperSport United.

The experienced centre forward has found game time increasingly difficult to come by this season having made only 10 PSL starts for the Buccaneers thus far.

However, he remains the club's joint top scorer alongside Luvuyo Memela with both attackers having scored three goals in the league.

According to a source close to The Citizen, Gabuza has been in contact with SuperSport head coach Tinkler, who coached Pirates between 2014 and 2016.

Tinkler is said to be keen to work with the Ladysmith-born marksman again. Gabuza flourished under Tinkler at Pirates with the lanky forward playing an important role in helping the club reach the 2015 Caf Confederation Cup final.

“Gabuza knows he has never been a fan favourite at Pirates and with Augustine Mulenga already tipped to be the team’s first choice while there are the likes of Ayanda Nkosi still waiting for a chance," the source said.

"Gabuza knows game time will be scarce for him," the source added.

"That is why he is keen on getting a move away so [that] he can re-establish himself, and they had an understanding with Tinkler,” the source concluded.

Tinkler parted ways with Pirates at the end of the 2015/16 season, and Gabuza has since failed to regain the form that saw him become a regular in the South African national team set-up.

The 30-year-old frontman has scored only seven goals in 57 league games since joining Pirates from Lamontville Golden Arrows during the 2013/14 PSL campaign.

Gabuza helped the Buccaneers reach the 2014 Nedbank Cup final where they beat Bidvest Wits 3-1 in Durban. He made five appearances in the tournament without finding the back of the net.

However, he scored six goals during Bucs' successful 2015 Caf Confederation Cup campaign with the team narrowly losing to Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel in a tightly contested two-legged final.